In a Serious Blow to Communities Across the Country, Trump Administration Proposes to Weaken Clean Water Protection 

The agencies have proposed to narrow the universe of waters protected under the Clean Water Act, yet again

Contacts

Erin Fitzgerald, efitzgerald@earthjustice.org

Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a series of proposed rollbacks to the number and type of waters protected by the Clean Water Act. The newly proposed and narrowed definition would have a significant impact on the number of waterways protected in in the United States.

The following is a statement from Drew Caputo, Earthjustice Vice President of Litigation for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans:

“The Trump administration’s proposal is a significant scaling back of protections for waters that all Americans depend on for clean water quality, flood protection, and wildlife habitat. The proposal avoids specifying the exact scale of the deregulation it proposes, but it clearly would result in a serious reduction in legal protections for waters across the United States. Many waters that have been protected by the Clean Water Act for over 50 years would lose those protections under this proposal. Earthjustice, along with our clients and partners, will carefully evaluate today’s proposal and not hesitate to go to court to protect the cherished rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands that all Americans need and depend on.”

Geese and waterfowl swim in a pond with mountains in the background.
The Candelaria Wetlands at the Rio Grande Nature Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (The Washington Post)

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