EPA Claims CWA Jurisdiction Rule Will Reduce Liability For Citizen Suits

摘要

EPA is claiming its plan to clarify the Clean Water Act's (CWA) reach will benefit regulated entities by reducing their liability for citizen suits filed under the law, claiming it would eliminate an existing "gray area" regarding what types of waters are jurisdictional and limiting the potential for citizen suits for CWA violations. In a document released Sept. 8, "Questions And Answers About Waters Of The U.S. Proposal," EPA says that Supreme Court rulings created uncertainty over the law's scope, creating the gray area of waters and wetlands that are currently assessed for jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis. EPA's proposed rule "reduces litigation risk" for industry and landowners because it reduces the amount of waters left in the gray area, the agency says. The document is available on InsideEPA.com. See page 2 for details.