Comment by August 28
The Trump Administration wants to remove Clean Water Act protections from two million miles of waterways and millions of acres of wetlands. Rollback of this rule would put drinking water at risk for 117 million Americans.
The public comment period is ongoing; comments must be received on or before 11:59 pm August 28.
The Clean Water Rule (“Waters of the U.S.” or WOTUS rule) was issued in 2015 to more clearly define which “waters” are protected under the Clean Water Act. The Rule’s definition of protected waters is based on hydrologic science. It recognizes the real-world connections that exist between large volume, “navigable” waters and smaller non-navigable streams and wetlands. The Clean Water Rule protects tributary streams that can greatly impact downstream water.
The proposal currently open for comment would eliminate the scientific definition created in the 2015 Clean Water Rule. (A second rule-making will be required to propose the Trump Administration’s preferred definition of waters of the US. The Trump Administration has indicated it won’t have a proposal ready until the end of this year, at the earliest.)
For information on the rule, the rollback proposal, and how to comment, see the Save EPA Website at Defending Our Waters.