House Bill 4185/Senate Bill 4119

[Carl Guffey]

Bill Threatens Fish and Clean Water - HB4185/SB4119

Two weeks ago a piece of legislation known as the “Limited Resource Waters” bill was revealed. It represents the single largest threat to water quality and fish that anglers have seen in the last 15 years.

The legislation seeks to remove significant water quality protections that currently exist. The bill is being supported by coalition which includes the Tennessee Road Builders Association, some home builders, the Tennessee Farm Bureau, the Tennessee Forestry Association and representatives of the coal mining industry. In its current form, HB4185 will do the following:

• Remove current protections for human and wildlife health and safety
• Remove current protections that prevent pollution from running into streams
• Slow down the TDEC Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit process for business across the state

Analysis shows HB4185/SB4119 will create a scenario where streams, wetland and lakes will, over time, be impacted be sediment and toxins. This will damage aquatic life, including fishable waters and fish populations, in addition to placing greater pressures upon all streams, rivers, wetlands and lakes which will adversely impact the business community as well.


Please contact members of the House and Senate Conservation and Environment Committee and express opposition to HB4185/SB4119.

 

[BackOnTheWater]

A "pro-pollution" bill? You gotta be kidding me!

</p>

 

[digitalcb]

Here (between the fish) are the actual six words being added to the existing Tennessee Code Annotated 69-3-103(33) in addition to adding the definition of "Limited Resources Water"

(33) “Waters” means any and all water, public or private, on or beneath the surface of the ground, that are contained within, flow through, or border upon Tennessee or any portion thereof, emoFish except for limited resource waters and emoFish those bodies of water confined to and retained within the limits of private property in single ownership that do not combine or effect a junction with natural surface or underground waters;

The statement in the initial post:

"Analysis shows HB4185/SB4119 will create a scenario where streams, wetland and lakes will, over time, be impacted be sediment and toxins."

most likely came from representatives of the environmental activist group Tennessee Clean Water Network.


The Bill's sponsor, State Rep. Joe McCord, says:

We're not really trying to make the definitions lax. We're just trying to get a definition. The uncertainty of what is or is not a wet weather conveyance has caused this problem to be inconsistently enforced. We're just looking for consistency. We're not trying to get away from it."

The reality is that some wackos pour their toxic waste into our waters and some wackos try to stop a housing development because there are tadpoles in a mud puddle.