WOTUS ‘wet season’ test would further shrink US regulatory reach
A Trump administration proposal to reduce the scope of the Clean Water Act would exclude more waters than at any other point in the past 50 years. But it also left open the possibility of going even further. Administration officials last week unveiled their plan to define “waters of the U.S.,” a frequently litigated term that delineates which waters and wetlands are regulated by the 1972 law. … [The proposal] suggests including only rivers, streams and other waterways that flow at least for the duration of the “wet season.” The proposal also floats an alternative approach: exclusively regulating perennial waters and wetlands.
Other environmental regulation news:
- E&E News by Politico: Feds will quickly impose some changes in how ESA operates
- E&E News by Politico: States push EPA to monitor microplastics in water
- Smart Cities Dive: Shifting water infrastructure decisions to local governments could accelerate housing, advocates say
