WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers announced a new rule to further restrict which water bodies are protected from pollution and destruction under the Clean Water Act. According to the Trump administration, the rationale for pursuing these changes was to reflect the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, which reversed decades of precedent and re-interpreted the law to drastically reduce the number of wetlands protected by the Clean Water Act. In 2023, the Biden Administration adopted regulations to conform to Sackett v. EPA’s decision, yet earlier this year EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced their plan to revise the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) which would further narrow the definition so that fewer wetlands, streams, and other waters receive protections.
In response to today’s announcement, the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environment’s (ANHE) Executive Director Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN issued the following statement:
“There is a huge disconnect between the administration and the vast majority of people across the country who value clean, safe water and have no interest in more pollution in their water. If this administration further weakens protections for clean water, everyone will be faced with increased threats from pollution to clean, safe, reliable drinking water and public health. The administration has broken its promise to protect clean water and disregarded the EPA’s mission to protect the environment and public health by weakening pollution standards for dangerous coal-fired power plants and oil and gas production, refusing to adequately control forever chemicals in our waterways, and pushing to undermine states’ and Tribes’ authority to protect their own water resources. EPA is recklessly putting communities at risk for the benefit of polluters. This rule will allow destruction of more waters across the country than any time in the last over fifty years. During the upcoming comment period, nurses will continue raising our voices and fighting for public health and clean drinking water for everyone.”
Clean water advocates point to cuts already made to EPA funding and staff leading to reductions of enforcement capacity on the federal level with more responsibility falling to state, local, and tribal governments to protect clean water. Preventing pollution and the destruction of streams, wetlands, and other water bodies has multiple benefits, including improving source water quality, protecting public health, and lowering costs for water systems and their customers. Upon the publication of today’s rule in the Federal Register, there will be a 45 day comment period.
