Just in from Luke at Environment Texas.

Dear Environment Texas supporter,

One of my favorite parts of living in Texas is taking a dip in one of our state's many swimming holes. Unfortunately, about one-third of our state's creeks and streams are too polluted to swim in -- and state regulators have approved new rules to keep it that way.

Earlier this summer, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality weakened the standards for water quality. No longer do all waters have to be clean enough to swim in. Now, some waterways will be allowed to have 16 times more E. coli -- bacteria that can be life threatening to children -- than is currently allowed.

We can't let this happen to our favorite swimming holes. Click to add your name to our petition calling for the cleanup of all Texas waterways.

The petition to the TCEQ reads:

All waterways in Texas should be safe for swimming and fishing. Please withdraw your plans to weaken water quality standards based on recreational use.

Manure and other waste from corporate poultry, dairy and other farms routinely wash into our waterways. This pollution has rendered many Texas waters, including portions of the Colorado, San Marcos and Brazos Rivers, unsuitable for recreational uses. Now, if a stream isn't used much by the public (possibly because it's polluted), the TCEQ wants to allow it to stay polluted.

We can't let the TCEQ get away with this.

Please click the link below to add your name to our petition:

http://www.environmenttexas.org/action/water/ecoli-in-water?id4=ES

Sincerely,

Luke Metzger
Environment Texas Director
http://www.environmenttexas.org

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