Governors Urge EPA To Appeal Decision Vacating Water Transfer Rule

摘要

An alliance of Western governors is urging EPA to appeal the landmark district court ruling that vacated the agency's rule exempting most transfers of water between waterbodies from Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permits, arguing that if the decision stands it will cripple arid states' ability to meet their water supply needs. "[W]estern states must rely on thousands of intrastate and regional transfers to move billions of gallons of water to satisfy domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs. Requiring [National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)] permits for these transfers will be prohibitively expensive, technically impractical, and could compel the curtailment of certain transfers, with little if any water quality benefits," the Western Governors'Association says in a May 12 letter to EPAAdminis-trator Gina McCarthy.