EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Propose 'Waters of the United States' Rule

摘要

On April 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers jointly released a proposed rule, "Definition of Waters of the United States Under the Clean Water Act," designed to clarify which waterways are subject to the Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permitting requirements. Because the CWA affects many aspects of federal and state regulation, some are calling this proposed rule the most significant CWA development in years. EPA has stated that the proposed rule does not protect any new types of waters that have not been covered under the CWA, and will reduce confusion about CWA protection since the landscape has been complex following Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006. EPA issued a press release stating that the proposed rule will benefit businesses by increasing efficiency in determining coverage of the CWA.