Judge Blocks Waters of the U.S. Rule

A federal judge in North Dakota on Thursday temporarily blocked the full implementation of the Obama Administration’s Waters of the U.S. rule. This rule, which was set to go into effect on Friday in all fifty states, expands Clean Water Act protections to smaller wetlands, streams, and tributaries to ensure a clean water supply. The EPA has stated this preliminary injunction only applies to the 13 states involved in the case, and began enacting the rule throughout the rest of the U.S. on Friday. These 13 states will still have to adhere to existing Clean Water Act protections granted to major waterways such as lakes and rivers.

Read more at The Washington Post

Header Image: A stream located on Brubaker Farms in Lancaster County, P.A.

Image Credit: Steve Droter of the Chesapeake Bay Program