Friday Top of the Scroll: EPA signals it could narrow Clean Water Act protections
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signaled it could narrow which set of waters receive protections under the Clean Water Act — and will narrow protections for wetlands in the meantime. The law requires the EPA to protect so-called “waters of the United States,” but there has been significant political back-and-forth as to which bodies of water that should include. In a press release on Wednesday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticized the Biden administration’s definition, saying it “placed unfair burdens on the American people and drove up the cost of doing business.”
Other EPA and WOTUS news:
- Politico: California tries Trump-proofing by another name
- FarmWeek: EPA revising WOTUS rule to provide clarity
- Farm Journal AgWeb: EPA to address ‘government overreach’ on defining WOTUS
- AgDaily: EPA pledges WOTUS reform to ease burdens on farmers
- Sentient: EPA moves to decimate clean water protections with support from the Farm Bureau
- Pacific Legal Foundation: Blog: Federal government continues to abuse Clean Water Act to micromanage property owners
- Tahoe Daily Tribune: Federal ruling on Clean Water Quality Act won’t change STPUD practices
