Nov19

EPA, ARMY PROPOSE NEW DEFINITION FOR WOTUS

EPA, ARMY PROPOSE NEW DEFINITION FOR WOTUS
0.0/5 rating (0 votes)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army proposed a rule to re-establish the pre-2015 definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), which had been in place for decades. It has been updated to reflect Supreme Court decisions. The proposed rule would support a stable implementation of WOTUS while the agencies continue to consult with states, tribes, local governments, and stakeholders in both the implementation of WOTUS and future regulatory actions.

The agencies are taking comment on this proposed rule for 60 days beginning on the date it is published in the Federal Register. Congress enacted the Clean Water Act in 1972. One of the act’s principal tools is a prohibition on the discharge of pollutants from a point source to “navigable waters” unless otherwise authorized under the act. “Navigable waters” are defined as “the waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.” WOTUS is a threshold term establishing the geographic scope of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.

On June 9, the EPA and the Department of the Army announced their intent to revise the definition of WOTUS. Upon review of the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, the agencies determined that the rule is significantly reducing clean water protections.

Share

Posted:

Friday, 19 November 2021