Nothing short of the Clean Water Act is at stake with the nomination of Samuel Alito. Senators have focused much of their attention on other issues, but with two big cases pending before the Supreme Court, the future of the Clean Water Act and how it is enforced are hanging in the balance. The problem is Judge Alito's very narrow interpretation of the Commerce Clause, which is the constitutional provision that enables Congress and the EPA to reguate pollution at a national level. Based on Alito's previous rulings, many fear that he would vote for a very strict limit on what Congress and EPA can regulate--providing developer and polluters with a big victory.