In Major Reversal, EPA, Army Will Revise Definition of ‘WOTUS’
The post In Major Reversal, EPA, Army Will Revise Definition of ‘WOTUS’ appeared first on POWER Magazine.
In yet another dramatic turn for federal policy governing the “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), the Biden administration has announced its intent to revise the definition of WOTUS, citing “destructive impacts” to critical water bodies under a Trump-era rule.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army on June 9 issued a declaration requesting remand of the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which the Trump administration made effective a year ago to replace a 2015 Obama-era rule. The Department of Justice, meanwhile, has reportedly acted to file a motion requesting remand of the rule.
The agencies said they intend to initiate a new rulemaking process that restores “the protections in place prior to the 2015 WOTUS implementation.” They also anticipate “developing a new rule that defines WOTUS and is informed by a robust engagement process as well as the experience of implementing the pre-2015 rule, the Obama-era Clean Water Rule, and the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protection Rule.”…