Federal Judge Liberates the Obama Era Clean Water Rule

The Trump administration cannot legally delay the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, according to a ruling by a federal judge this week.

August 17, 2018, 12pm PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

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"A federal judge issued a nationwide injunction [pdf] Thursday on the Trump administration's order delaying the Clean Water Rule, making the Obama-era regulation applicable in the 26 states that have not blocked it," according to an article by Emily Moon.

"The United States District Court in South Carolina found that the Environmental Protection Agency had violated rulemaking procedures in delaying the regulation, also known as the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which protects wetlands and tributaries under the Clean Water Act," adds Moon.

The U.S. EPA announced that it would delay implementation of the Clean Water Rule under then-Administrator Scott Pruitt in February 2018. This is also not the first time the WOUS rule has proven resilient in the courts.

Moon is relaying news originally reported by E&E News reports, which is behind a paywall.

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A federal Judge Reinstates the Clean Water Rule for 26 States

Published on Friday, August 17, 2018 in Pacific Standard