1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to vote no on the PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898) when it comes before the Senate. This legislation threatens the clean water protections my family and community depend on by stripping away state authority to safeguard our water resources. Section 5 of the PERMIT Act rewrites Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to drastically limit state and tribal review powers. Under current law, states can evaluate the full impact of federally licensed projects like pipelines and dams. The PERMIT Act would narrow this scope so states can only review discharges that "may directly result" from a project, preventing consideration of upstream, downstream, or cumulative impacts. States would be forced to ignore how pipeline construction worsens water quality, blocks fish passage, or contributes to toxic algae blooms. The bill goes further by eliminating state authority to impose conditions based on state water quality laws, limiting reviews to federal standards only. It also strips enforcement power from states, leaving only federal agencies with authority to hold polluters accountable. This fundamentally undermines the cooperative federalism that has made the Clean Water Act effective for over fifty years. Other sections are equally troubling. Section 2 would require water quality criteria to consider polluters' treatment costs, potentially allowing unsafe pollution levels if cleanup is deemed too expensive. Section 8 shields dischargers from liability even when they knowingly discharge undisclosed pollutants. Section 18 gives administrators authority to exclude water features from Clean Water Act coverage entirely. The PERMIT Act is not about efficiency. It prioritizes industry convenience over the health of our rivers, drinking water sources, and communities. For fifty years, the Clean Water Act has empowered states, tribes, and the EPA to set science-based standards and hold polluters accountable. This bill dismantles those protections. Clean air and water for my family is a top priority. I expect you to vote no on H.R. 3898 and protect our state's authority to safeguard our water resources.