Raw sewage in creeks? Sunnyvale and Mountain View argue in court the Clean Water Act should not apply to them

When it comes to the environment, Sunnyvale and Mountain View have a pretty green image, spending millions on bike lanes, solar energy and electric vehicle charging stations.

But their tactics in an ongoing court case — in which their lawyers claimed major Bay Area creeks should not be protected from pollution under the federal Clean Water Act — are raising eyebrows among environmentalists.

“It’s disappointing,” said Eric Buescher, an attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper, a nonprofit group that works to reduce pollution in San Francisco Bay. “We think the cities should be better stewards of the streams and creeks they are charged with protecting.”