Support local economy and clean water on the Calcasieu River

Calcasieu River, Lousiana | Alyssa Portaro

The Calcasieu River and its interconnected bays and marshes are a vital nursery for fish and wildlife and once sustained a thriving commercial fishing industry. Fishermen and businesses have depended on the river and its abundance for generations with nearly one-third of all the seafood consumed in the United States comes from Louisiana. But this multi-billion dollar industry, and the health of the river and all life that depends on it, are increasingly threatened by plastics and petrochemical pollution.

We must urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the long overdue technology standards in its upcoming biennial review — for the mutual benefit of industry, public health and livelihood, and all life that relies on the Calcasieu River.

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Administrator

Kevin

McOmber, P.E.

EPA’s Southeast Region (Region 4)

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Naz

Zanjani-Bachar

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

Dear {contact_data~salutation},

My name is {user_data~First Name}{user_data~Last Name}, and I’m writing in support of the Calcasieu River and the local fishermen and coastal communities that depend on its fish, wildlife, and clean water. American Rivers designated the Calcasieu River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025 due to the severity of the threat posed to the river by the ongoing and unnecessary dumping of large volumes of toxic chemicals such as benzene, dioxins, 1,4 dioxane, PAHs, and heavy metals. 
 
The Clean Water Act (CWA) and the EPA’s role in administering it was a bipartisan effort signed into law by Republican President Richard Nixon. Every American deserves to have access to clean water, and it is the EPA’s and LDEQ’s responsibility to ensure the waters we depend on are safe and clean. The EPA ensures this by setting limits and issuing permits to major industries for pollution discharge. As technology changes and new technologies emerge, it is necessary to update standards. In fact, the EPA is required by law to biennially “publish in the Federal Register a plan which shall . . . establish a schedule for the annual review and revision of promulgated effluent guidelines, in accordance with [Section 304(b)].” 33 USC § 1314(m)(1)(A).

When implemented as Congress intended, the federal technology-based limits can be one of the most effective tools in the Clean Water Act to achieve President Trump’s goal to have the “cleanest water” of any developed country on earth.

Unfortunately, the EPA has neglected its duty to update technology standards, as its responsibility. Some 27 categories of technology standards have not been updated for at least 40 years. We must regulate today’s technology with modern standards.

The current biennial review to establish a schedule for the annual review and revision of promulgated effluent guidelines is underway and scheduled for completion in early 2026. Now is the time to enact common sense updates. If America seeks to achieve President Trump’s vision of having the cleanest water, it will not be able to do so with the oldest and most outdated technology standards. 
 
We urge the EPA’s Southeast Region to update the standards to the primary pollutants affecting the Calcasieu River during the upcoming biennial review. These include Dioxins, 1,4 dioxane, nitrogen/phosphorus, microplastics (nurdles), mercury, and PAHs.

Thank you for your commitment to lead the Region 4 EPA. With your support we may take vital steps towards achieving President Trump’s vision of having the cleanest water of any country on earth, for the benefit of people, business, and wildlife. The only way to reach this goal is to set highest standards and unleash American ingenuity to outcompete other nations in having the strongest industries and cleanest waters.   
 
We are confident in your leadership and willingness to ensure government accountability.

Sincerely,

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