Trump’s order will instruct the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to review the Clean Water Rule, also known as Waters of the United States, that went into effect on August 28, 2015.
The rule is actually a redefinition of what constitutes the Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. But as soon as it went into effect, 13 states sued, and U.S. Chief District Judge Ralph R. Erickson issued an injunction blocking the regulation in those states. In a separate lawsuit, on October 9, 2015, a divided federal appeals court stayed the rule’s application nationwide.
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Congress passed a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act simply overturning the “WOTUS” rule, but President Obama vetoed the measure. One of the first things the Tump transition team did was announce in November 2016 that the administration would end the “Waters of the US” rule.
The anonymous source strikes again
The Associated Press got the scoop on Trump’s coming executive order from a senior White House official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, despite the Trump administration’s best attempts to stop the leaks coming out of the White House.
But as it has been with everything having anything to do with the Obama administration’s legislation, regulations or rules, Trump slammed the Waters of the United States regulation during his campaign, calling it an example of federal overreach. Farmers and landowners have criticized the rule and Republicans have been trying to get rid of it from its inception.
However, all the rule does is clarify what “waters of the U.S.” included in the Clean Water Act, and it safeguards the drinking water for millions of Americans. The League of Conservation Voters has already issued a statement before the expected signing of Trump’s order, slamming the move.
This executive order is about one thing: protecting polluters at the expense of our communities and their access to clean drinking water,” Madeleine Foote, the group’s legislative representative, said in a statement.
