EPA Adopts New Water Protection Regulations, Repealing Trump-Era Rule

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The Biden administration finalized Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that expand protections for rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and waterways while simultaneously repealing a Trump-era rule on the matter.

The EPA said the revised rule (pdf), issued on Dec. 30, 2022—which clarifies the types of bodies of water protected by the federal government under the Clean Water Act—is based on definitions that were in place before 2015, when the Obama administration took a similar approach seeking to expand federal protections.

The Trump administration later narrowed the definitions, a move that was praised by builders, oil and gas developers, farmers, and others who complained about federal overreach and raised concerns that the federal government would regulate ravines and creeks on private property.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez for the District of Arizona threw out the Trump-era rule based on the fact that it allegedly ignored that smaller waterways could affect the health of the waterways into which they flow.

“In developing this rule, the agencies considered the text of the relevant provisions of the Clean Water Act and the statute as a whole, the scientific record, relevant Supreme Court case law, and the agencies’ experience and technical expertise after more than 45 years of implementing the longstanding pre-2015 regulations defining ‘waters of the United States,’” the EPA said in its revised rules.

“This final rule advances the objective of the Clean Water Act and ensures critical protections for the nation’s vital water resources, which support public health, environmental protection, agricultural activity, and economic growth across the United States.”

Increases Protections of Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds

Specifically, under the revised rules, the Biden administration is increasing protections of wetlands, lakes, ponds, and some streams that have a significant connection to navigable waters or wetlands that are “relatively permanent.”

The rule doesn’t set a certain distance for when adjacent wetlands are protected, as officials said that various factors can affect whether the wetland and the waterway can impact the water quality of each other. The impact, according to the EPA, depends on “regional variations in climate, landscape, and geomorphology.”

By Katabella Roberts

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

No Kings Exposes Odd Things!

The “No Kings” protests held around the nation are not grassroots spontaneous people’s protests but are highly organized events by paid provocateurs.

President Trump Needs Much Better Protection

President Trump faces threats from foreign adversaries and domestic radicals prone to violence, people suffering from severe “TDS.”

Science Has Finally Come For Transgenderism

British biologist Richard Dawkins said “trans women are men,” calling transgender ideology a movement that undermines biological truth.

Trump is Coming for Antifa

Liberals say there is no organization called “Antifa”. Conservatives say Antifa is real and we now know how it is funded. What should we believe?

The Pentagon vs. the Free Press (or What’s Left of It)

Reporting what the government would rather not have reported is not just an essential function but a duty of a free press in a representative system.

Cleveland-Cliffs Stock Jumps as It Eyes Rare Earths Production

Cleveland-Cliffs’ $400M Defense Logistics Agency deal and rare earth mining prospects boosted its stock to yearly highs on Oct. 20.

FBI Confirms Hunting Stand Near Trump’s Air Force One: 4 Things to Know

FBI’s deputy director said forensic tools are being used to investigate a hunting stand found overlooking President Trump’s Air Force One in Florida.

Government Shutdown Could End This Week: White House Economist

In an interview, Kevin Hassett stated that a chorus of Senate Democrats thought it would be “bad optics” to reopen the govt before the “No Kings” rallies.

Vehicle Hit With Artillery Shrapnel During Marine Ceremony: California Highway Patrol

Metal shrapnel from a Marine Corps live-fire exercise at Camp Pendleton’s 250th anniversary damaged a CHP vehicle near a major highway, officials said.

President Signs Rare Earth Agreement With Australia’s PM

President Trump hosted Australian PM Albanese at the White House, where both leaders signed a new agreement on rare earth mineral cooperation.

Trump Says Insurrection Act Is ‘Strongest Power a President Has’

President Trump detailed plans to invoke the Insurrection Act to address rampant crime, calling it the “strongest power a president has.”

Army Corps of Engineers to Pause $11 Billion in Projects During Shutdown: Vought

Russ Vought, director of the White House’s OMB, has added to the growing pile of federal projects paused during the government shutdown.

Trump Signs Executive Order Putting New Restrictions on Federal Hiring

Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to restrict hiring, with exceptions for immigration, security, and political appointees.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central