Obama's EPA set to issue Clean Water Rule, expanding reach over U.S. water pollution


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
On Friday or next week, the Obama administration will formally unveil new clean-water regulations aimed at giving the federal government greater authority to curb pollution in lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater, The New York Times reports. The rule, known as Waters of the U.S., isn't a surprise: The Environmental Protection Agency proposed it a year ago, and has spent months holding public meetings, reading public comments, and finalizing the language.
"Water is the lifeblood of healthy people and healthy economies," EPA chief Gina McCarthy wrote in an April blog post. "We have a duty to protect it. That's why EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are finalizing a Clean Water Rule later this spring to protect critical streams and wetlands that are currently vulnerable to pollution and destruction."
The federal government had broad authority to regulate the nation's waters under the 1972 Clean Water Act, but Supreme Court rulings in 2001 and 2006 created confusion over smaller waterways. The new rule would cover about 60 percent of U.S. waters, The Times reports. Farm and some business groups oppose the rule, and Republicans are trying to stop it through legislation — the House has already passed a bill blocking the rule, and Senate Republicans are working on their own measures.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Elon Musk used Starlink, which saved Ukraine, to thwart a Ukrainian attack on Russia's Crimea fleet
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Fitch downgrades US credit rating, citing 'repeated debt-limit political standoffs'
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Bed Bath & Beyond relaunches online following bankruptcy
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
San Francisco's iconic Anchor Brewing is closing after 127 years
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Lawmakers say tax prep companies illegally shared taxpayer data with Meta and Google
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Microsoft wins FTC battle to acquire Activision Blizzard
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Tesla reports record quarter for sales
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
48 states sue telecom company over billions of robocalls
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published