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At EWG, our team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.

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Clean Water Report Card: Failing Grades: Table 1


Table 1: Forty-four states and the District of Columbia failed to update their Clean Water Act permits in a timely manner

Rank State Total Major Facilities Facilities with Expired Permits Percent of Facilities with Expired Permits
1 District of Columbia* 4 4 100%
2 Nevada 10 7 70%
3 Rhode Island 25 17 68%
4 Oregon 76 51 67%
5 Nebraska 60 40 67%
6 New Mexico* 34 20 59%
7 Colorado 102 51 50%
8 Massachusetts* 148 74 50%
9 Louisiana 247 116 47%
10 Indiana 175 81 46%
11 Washington 89 41 46%
12 New Hampshire* 62 27 44%
13 Minnesota 85 37 44%
14 Connecticut 117 45 38%
15 Hawaii 27 10 37%
16 Idaho* 66 24 36%
17 California 235 85 36%
18 Ohio 268 93 35%
19 Delaware 24 7 29%
20 New Jersey 168 49 29%
21 Virginia 145 40 28%
22 Iowa 123 31 25%
23 Oklahoma 93 23 25%
24 Michigan 181 44 24%
25 Missouri 146 35 24%
26 Arizona* 46 11 24%
27 Maine* 93 22 24%
28 Alaska* 77 18 23%
29 Texas 582 135 23%
30 North Carolina 216 49 23%
31 Tennessee 152 34 22%
32 Maryland 100 21 21%
33 Montana 44 9 20%
34 South Carolina 191 37 19%
35 Kansas 58 11 19%
36 Wisconsin 132 23 17%
37 Illinois 268 45 17%
38 Florida 253 42 17%
39 South Dakota 31 5 16%
40 Alabama 211 28 13%
41 Arkansas 108 13 12%
42 Vermont 34 4 12%
43 Mississippi 86 10 12%
44 West Virginia 93 10 11%
45 Pennsylvania 387 41 11%
46 Utah 34 2 6%
47 New York 361 14 4%
48 Kentucky 130 2 2%
49 Georgia 172 2 1%
50 North Dakota 26 0 0%
51 Wyoming 26 0 0%
Total   6,621 1,640 25%

* NPDES permit program run by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
** EWG is working with California to obtain more up-to-date information.
Source: Environmental Working Group. Compiled from EPA Permit Compliance System Data as of January 2000.

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