The Clean Water Act is federal law, but is implemented by state agencies in each state. This is why the federal EPA can have recommendations for policies, but ultimately Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is supposed to act. However if the state fails to act, the EPA may step in and use the authority granted it under section 303(c)(3) of the Clean Water Act to issue more reasonable standards. This is what happened recently down in Washington State. To ensure Alaska’s waters and fisheries remain some of the best in the world, Inside Passage Waterkeeper is petitioning the EPA for action.