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EPA Issues Emergency New Rule on Waters of the United States

Using a rarely invoked exception to the Administrative Procedure Act’s requirement for public notice and comment prior to issuing a new rule, the EPA set forth a new rule governing jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Believing that this new rule was urgently needed in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court eviscerating the […]

| 2 min read | Tagged: , , ,
MK

Two Idaho Homeowners Finally Clarify Scope of Clean Water Act

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court curtailed the federal government’s powers to regulate private property under the auspices of the Clean Water Act (CWA).  The Court in Sackett v. EPA held that “the CWA extends to only those “wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are ‘waters of the United States’ in their […]

| 3 min read | Tagged: , , , , ,
JH
Associate

Perchlorate…. It’s baaaack

While various States have enacted various regulations covering a wide variety of differing standards over the years, the EPA never created a national standard for remedial or drinking water levels. Finally, after decades of considering proposals and counter proposals, the EPA made a “final” determination in July 2020 during the Trump administration that perchlorate was […]

| 2 min read | Tagged: , ,
MK

Mining Industry on the Losing End of Two Clean Water Act Cases

by Michael C. Ford The mining industry was on the losing end of two recent Clean Water Act cases.  Stone v. High Mountain Mining Company, LLC,[1] was decided September 12, 2022, and involved a citizen suit challenge to a placer mine operating without a Clean Water Act (“CWA”) discharge (“NPDES”) permit.  High Mountain’s operations include […]

Will the Sackett Test Clarify the Reach of Clean Water Act Jurisdiction?

by Michael C. Ford “Sackett” may be poised to become a part of the Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdictional lexicon, joining the likes of Rapanos, significant nexus, relatively permanent, and Solid Waste Agency of Cook County, on the tip of every Clean Water Act practitioner’s tongue.  In a surprise move, the Supreme Court of the […]

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Trump Administration’s Clean Water Rule to Remain as Agencies Seek its Revision

by Patrick J. Paul On Wednesday, July 14, 2021, a federal court in South Carolina allowed the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), defining the scope of Clean Water Act jurisdiction, to remain in place while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) work on a replacement […]

EPA to Revisit Clean Water Act WOTUS Rule

by Patrick J. Paul On June 9, 2021, in a move that came as a surprise only for its delay in being announced and not at all in the substance of the announcement itself, the EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced their intent to revise the definition of “waters of the United […]

Corps Announces Changes to Clean Water Act Permit Program

by Patrick J. Paul On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced revisions to its Nationwide Permit (NWP) Program under the Clean Water Act.  The final rule reissues 12 existing NWPs and creates four new NWPs. Major changes to existing NWPs include removing limits on stream loss measured in linear feet from […]

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WOTUS Redefined: The New Definition of Waters of the United States

by Farris J. Gillman On April 21, 2020, the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized a new definition of waters of the United States (sometimes called “WOTUS”). This new definition has fundamental implications for the application of point source permits under Section 402 (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) and dredge and fill permits […]

FG
Former Associate