Dear Governor Newsom:

The undersigned businesses understand that California is facing an unprecedented public health crisis, and that many people are experiencing extreme hardship from healthcare to economic impacts due to COVID-19. But during this difficult time, we write to request that your administration maintain strong, protective rules that ensure safe and clean water for California’s communities and ecosystems.

California has the world’s fifth largest economy. Our coastal economy contributes $40 billion annually to the state, and half a million important jobs. Commercial fisheries in the state are valued at more than $7 billion annually. Ocean-based recreation and tourism are valued at over $10 billion annually. Recreational fishing is valued at over $2 billion annually. Our coastline is of the reasons that California businesses thrive, attracting over 150 million visitors annually, and helping to draw a talented workforce to our state.

Businesses rely on stable and predictable government rules and a level playing field. Federal clean water and clean air regulations have fostered California’s economic growth for decades. Defending the protections that sustain our state’s economy – the fifth largest in the world – would send a signal to the business community that California stands firm in its commitments, providing certainty amidst the chaos.

Environmental regulations create jobs by requiring pollution clean-up and prevention efforts, and save the economy billions by mitigating pollution’s deleterious health effects. A 2013 analysis by the White House Office of Management and Budget found that a decade’s worth of major federal rules had produced annual benefits to the U.S. economy of between $193 billion and $800 billion, compared to an aggregate costs these regulations imposed of between $57 billion and $84 billion.

California has built a thriving economy with environmental stewardship as a core business value. The overwhelming majority of California businesses have made investments in our longstanding environmental and clean water laws. These environmental safeguards provide California businesses a competitive advantage, as the beauty of our state allows us to continuously attract the top talent from across the globe.

We appreciate the State Water Board’s commitment to “timely compliance by the regulated community [for] all Water Board orders and other requirements,” as announced in the Board’s March 20, 2020 COVID-19 Update. At the same time, however, we understand that regulated entities are still requesting that state agencies roll back protective measures related to water. Requests to suspend safeguards that protect water quality should not be tolerated at any time. These requests are especially inappropriate during a pandemic that threatens both the health of all Californians and the stability of California’s economy, and the spread of which can be limited by the routine use of clean water. We urge you to reject these requests and to remain committed to prioritizing public health and the availability of safe and clean water for all Californians.

To keep California on a path of economic and environmental sustainability, we strongly urge California to not suspend clean water protections. California should send a clear message to the nation and the world that we will not go backwards when it comes to clean air, climate, and water. Thank you for your leadership on this important issue.