Environmentalists worry that the latest action by the Trump administration on the environment will set a dangerous precedent that is difficult to overturn with a more conservative Supreme Court.
"The Trump administration on Thursday announced the repeal of a major Obama-era clean water regulation that had placed limits on polluting chemicals that could be used near streams, wetlands and other bodies of water," report Lisa Friedman and Coral Davenport.
Add it to the list: Trump administration has spent the first three years of its time in office undoing multiple of Obama era environmental regulations, like rules for methane, fracking, coal-fired power plants, automobile emissions, lead ammunition, and more, despite a ongoing legal resistance led by states like California.
As a consequence of the Trump administration's adjustments to the clean water rule, "polluters will no longer need a permit to discharge potentially harmful substances into many streams and wetlands." As noted by Friedman and Davenport, the consequences of the new rule reach further: "critics fear could be difficult for future administrations to undo because the ideological balance of the Supreme Court has shifted to the right."
FULL STORY: Trump Administration Rolls Back Clean Water Protections
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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