A new Environmental Protection Agency proposed rule would restore the full power of states and Tribes under the Clean Water Act, allowing them more time to review and more leeway to place conditions on federally-permitted projects that could harm local rivers, lakes and other waters. This proposed rule, once finalized, would replace a 2020 Trump Administration rule that placed significant restrictions on states and Tribes’ ability to review projects. The 2020 rule was recently reinstated by the Supreme Court.

"States and Tribes need to be able to thoughtfully review potentially damaging projects such as dams, mines, and pipelines,” said Jim Murphy, the National Wildlife Federation’s director of legal advocacy. “We thank EPA and encourage the agency to swiftly finalize this rule so that states and Tribes can once again have meaningful input into projects that impact drinking water or wildlife habitat. The end result of this rule will be cleaner, healthier waters that benefit water quality, wildlife and our way of life.”

Read More: EPA Factsheet

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