We propose a toast: to the Clean Water Rule, which went into effect in Maine on Friday.

The Clean Water Rule is the biggest step forward on clean water in our country in more than a decade. It closes loopholes in the Clean Water Act, opened up by a set of lawsuits in the early 2000s, that left more than 55 percent of stream miles in Maine and thousands of acres of wetlands – as well as the drinking water for one in three Mainers – at risk of unchecked pollution.

Some states and polluters have sued to try to block these protections, and a North Dakota judge Thursday put the rule on hold in a group of states in the South and West until the courts have time to hear yet another round of lawsuits. Fortunately, Maine isn’t one of those states, and these long-awaited safeguards went into effect for our waterways Aug. 28.

So now, after a decade of uncertainty, Maine’s waters are better protected. Let’s raise a glass to that!

Maine’s majestic lakes and rushing rivers are only as clean as the streams and wetlands that feed and clean them. Streams and wetlands filter runoff and polluted water, provide wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of flooding. A single acre of wetland, 1 foot deep, can store an astounding 1 million to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater, protecting us from flash floods when the rain is pouring and the last snow is melting each spring.

Beyond its environmental importance, clean water is a major economic engine for Maine. More than 4 million people visit our state’s waterways each year, and outdoor recreation contributes $1.4 billion to Maine’s economy annually.

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After a day spent fishing or boating, many visitors enjoy a pint or two of locally brewed beer. Maine’s craft brewery industry is rapidly growing.

A study by the University of Maine School of Economics, commissioned by the Maine Brewers’ Guild, found that Maine breweries sustained 1,500 jobs in 2013. Sales of Maine craft beer contribute $189 million to Maine’s economy annually, and the industry is poised to double in size in the next five years.

Maine’s 60-plus craft breweries offer an enormous array and diversity of craft beer. Any brewer will tell you that you can’t have good beer without clean water.

The average beer is more than 90 percent water. The quality of local water supplies, including characteristics such as pH and mineral content and purity, has always been critical to brewing beer. Ingredients like malt and hops, as well as different methods of production, certainly influence the style and flavor of a beer, but without water, beer can’t exist.

Allagash, based in Portland, is proud to source water from the Sebago Lake watershed, which boasts outstanding water quality. The Clean Water Rule will help to ensure it stays this way.

Just as brewers rely on clean water to make a high-quality product, businesses rely on clear rules. Breweries depend on responsible regulations that limit pollution and protect water at its source.

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The Clean Water Rule, which was jointly proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, went through an extensive stakeholder process and is based on rigorous scientific study.

It clarifies important aspects of the Clean Water Act where lawsuits had “muddied the waters,” so to speak, allowing businesses and regulators alike to understand the parameters of the law – and companies like Allagash to rest assured that water quality is protected.

Allagash is proud to stand alongside the following Maine breweries that have signed on in support of the Clean Water Rule: Andrew’s Brewing, Atlantic Brewing, Austin Street Brewery, Banded Horn Brewing, Barreled Souls Brewing, Baxter Brewing, Bissell Brothers, Black Bear Brewery, Bray’s Brewing, Bunker Brewing, Hidden Cove Brewery, Liberty Craft Brewing, Liquid Riot, Marshall Warf, Oxbow Brewing, Penobscot Bay Brewery, SoME Brewing Co., Strong Brewing, The Run of the Mill Brewery, Tributary Brewing Co. and Tumbledown Brewing.

In addition to breweries, more than 75 small businesses in Maine that rely on clean water for their income, as well as tens of thousands of Mainers across the state, have voiced support for the Clean Water Rule.

Whether you enjoy Maine’s waterways for swimming, fishing, boating or business – and whether your favorite beer is a Belgian wit, an IPA or a porter – we all know the importance of clean water. So, please join us in toasting the Clean Water Rule and supporting clean water protections for generations to come.


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