WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced its plan to once again redefine the streams and wetlands protected by the Clean Water Act. 
 
“This will be the fourth rule attempting to define the Waters of the United in a decade. We need to stop playing political ping pong with this vital issue,” said Jim Murphy, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior director of legal advocacy. “A 2023 Supreme Court decision greatly narrowed the scope of streams and wetlands that can be protected by the law and that narrowing is already reflected in the current rule. With the likelihood of a skeletal workforce at EPA, this move will put even more pressure and expense on states and localities to ensure our water is safe.
 
“All of our waters are connected. This rule should not put drinking water unnecessarily at risk nor should it compromise wildlife habitat or increase flood and drought risks for communities in a time when insurance costs are already skyrocketing. We encourage the administration to include downstream communities and water suppliers in their conversations about this rule.”