Trump considers narrowing water pollution protections

Trump considers narrowing water pollution protections

The Trump administration on Friday said it will consider further narrowing protections for streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers issued a supplemental proposed rule that they said would be likely to reduce the bodies of water that are under the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction if its changes are adopted.

It would be expected to reduce the number of waters subject to the Clean Water Act in the West.

That means development or pollution in these streams and wetlands would no longer require a permit or potential mitigation.

The new changes come on top of an already proposed rule by the agencies that is also expected to narrow the Clean Water Act’s applicability. The additional proposal could narrow it further.

The EPA said in a press release that it is considering the new proposal “alongside” the rule it proposed last year as part of an effort to evaluate a wider range of options as it determines its final approach for regulating streams and wetlands.

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