Clean Water Act Passes Over Nixon Veto After Industry Fails to Block Strong Provisions

On October 18, 1972, Congress overrode President Nixon’s veto of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments, known as the Clean Water Act. The overwhelming bipartisan override (52-12 in the Senate, 247-23 in the House) represented a rare defeat for industrial polluters who had lobbied intensively to weaken or kill the legislation.

The Clean Water Act established ambitious goals of making all U.S. waters “fishable and swimmable” by 1983 and eliminating pollutant discharges by 1985. It created the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), requiring permits for all point-source pollution. Industry groups including the American Petroleum Institute, Chemical Manufacturers Association, and paper industry lobbyists fought these provisions aggressively.

Nixon vetoed the bill ostensibly over cost concerns, calling the $24.6 billion authorization “budget-wrecking.” However, White House documents later revealed intense industry pressure influenced the decision. Nixon’s veto message echoed talking points from the National Association of Manufacturers about “fiscal responsibility.”

The veto override reflected the political power of the environmental movement at its peak. The Cuyahoga River fire of 1969 and widespread public outrage over water pollution had created conditions where even industry-friendly legislators felt compelled to support strong regulation.

However, industry would soon begin the long work of weakening implementation. Over subsequent decades, EPA enforcement would be undermined through budget cuts, regulatory delays, and the appointment of industry-friendly administrators. The ambitious 1983 and 1985 deadlines would never be met, and polluters would successfully delay or avoid many requirements through administrative and legal challenges.