Upholding Pollution Laws
for a Cleaner Sound

Puget Soundkeeper Alliance enforces the Clean Water Act through citizen lawsuits against the most egregious violators. Our goal is to achieve negotiated settlements that bring polluters into compliance with the law and the NPDES permitting system. As a result of Soundkeeper’s legal victories, over $3.7 million  in mitigation fees have been awarded to local environmental groups to fund environmental benefit projects and help repair damage done to the Sound. The Clean Water Act also provides for recovery of reasonable attorneys’ fees. However, Soundkeeper does not financially benefit from these settlements.

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The Foundation: Federal Law

The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 is the legal framework. The objective of the CWA  “is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” Read More…

The Strategy: Citizen Lawsuits & Permit Reviews

1. Citizen Lawsuits

The Citizen Lawsuit Provision of the Clean Water Act empowers Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and any citizen with “standing” to enforce the law to make polluters protect water quality.

2. Permit Reviews and Appeals (NPDES)

The Clean Water Act included the creation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which requires pollution discharges to be authorized by a permit.