Waters of the U.S.

October 18, 2021 | In the News: Florida Phoenix

Florida wetlands and waterways face development and potential harm as vacated Trump rules linger

Christina Reichert, Attorney, Florida Office, Earthjustice: “The developer has started clearing that property. This entire area was protected under the Clean Water Act.”

September 15, 2021 | Feature

Landmark Legal Cases to Secure Clean Water and Clean Air as a Right For All

For five decades, Earthjustice has fought thousands of legal cases, representing our client free of charge. See some of our proudest accomplishments to secure clean water and clean air as a right for all.

September 1, 2021 | Update

Clean Water Protections Restored For Millions of Streams and Wetlands

Now it’s up to the Biden administration to boost protections for waterways, rivers, and ephemeral streams that are critical for the environment.

August 30, 2021 | Press Release: Victory

Judge Ditches Trump’s Dirty Water Rule

Navigable Waters Protection Rule, repudiated for gutting water protections, is no longer the law of the land

August 30, 2021 | Legal Document

WOTUS - Order Remand and Vacate (August 2021)

On August 30, 2021, a U.S District Court for the District of Arizona said Trump’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule is illegal and should be vacated. The ruling restores protections for thousands of waterways across the Nation. It represents the culmination of a lawsuit brought by six federally recognized Indian tribes, who are represented by Earthjustice and sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers for passing a rule that eliminated Clean Water Act protections for thousands of waterbodies by redefining them as not “waters of the US.”

August 6, 2021 | In the News: Inside EPA

Judge Presses DOJ To Justify Opposition To Vacating Trump WOTUS Rule

June 9, 2021 | In the News: Bloomberg Law

EPA to Rewrite Trump-Era Waters Rule That Boosted Builders

Janette Brimmer, Attorney, Northwest Office, Earthjustice: “The damage we have seen over the last year is going to continue apace. This rule is wreaking havoc on protections of water. That’s not going to stop while the rulemaking goes on.”

June 9, 2021 | Press Release

Biden’s First Step to Restore Protections to Critical U.S. Waterways Falls Short

Drinking water sources for 117 million people living in the United States remain at risk

April 21, 2021 | In the News: E&E News

About-face: Army Corps to consult with tribes on WOTUS

Stu Gillespie, Attorney, Rocky Mountain Office, Earthjustice: "It is further proof that the Trump administration's abrupt decision to forgo any consultation with the tribes on the Rosemont mine [jurisdictional determination] was not just unlawful, but based on irresponsible and indefensible policy. The corps must own up to this error by revoking the Rosemont JD and consulting with the tribes before undertaking any action."