Results from a public opinion poll show that voters in rural, agricultural congressional districts overwhelmingly support protections for wetlands, rivers, lakes and streams. Perhaps most surprising, two-thirds of voters also agreed that they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who voted to have the Clean Water Act protect all bodies of water from pollution.
The poll, conducted by nationally recognized Republican pollster Bellwether Research & Consulting and sponsored by Earthjustice, involved 300 randomly selected registered voters in voting districts in Illinois (15th), Ohio (18th) and Tennessee (4th), defined as "rural" based on the census tract of that address. The poll showed strong, consistent responses from voters in each district on their attitudes and opinions on protecting lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands from pollution and degradation.
The data refute claims by industries opposing clean water legislation currently in the U.S. Congress. Groups opposing the Clean Water Restoration Act argue that rural voters opposed the idea of strong protections for America's waters. According to Bellwether, "These rural voters reject the notion that applying the Clean Water Act to isolated wetlands or other non-navigable waterways would be onerous for property owners, businesses or developers."
The Clean Water Restoration Act, introduced last summer in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate is currently under review by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The House version currently has over 170 co-sponsors, and the Senate version has 20 co-sponsors. This important legislation simply confirms that when Congress passed the Clean Water Act over 35 years ago, it meant to protect all America's waters. Recent muddied Supreme Court decision, ambiguous guidance documents from the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, and an organized attempt by polluters and developers has left many waters vulnerable to pollution and degradation. This poll shows that rural voters support protections for waters where we fish, drink and recreate.