In February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its revised “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. The proposed rule dramatically restricts what falls under the purview of the Clean Water Act, the environmental law that has led to the cleanup of thousands of rivers and lakes in the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated that the rule would remove federal protections for 18 percent of stream and river miles and 51 percent of wetlands in the United States, putting protections at their lowest levels since the Reagan administration and leaving millions of Americans vulnerable to polluted water.

Despite EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s claim that the changes were made to simplify what waterways are covered by the Clean Water Act, a close reading of the rule suggests that the changes add little clarity. In fact, experts have pointed out that the definitions used in the new rule are so general—and stray so far from sound science—that consultants may be required to determine whether a water body falls under federal jurisdiction. 

While Wheeler claimed that “access to clean drinking water worldwide is ‘the biggest environmental threat’,” the rule appears to continue benefitting polluters, especially the coal and hard-rock mining industries. The proposed rule’s shift will seriously undermine water quality improvements that have been achieved since the Clean Water Act came into law. Not only will the rule’s narrowed definitions overwhelm states with new regulatory responsibilities, but the rule will also kneecap the booming restoration economy. This has been key to drawing billions of dollars in private investment to support environmental restoration and protection.

(cited from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2019/03/27/467697/debunking-trump-administrations-new-water-rule/ )

Every day, 2 million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste are discharged into the world’s water (UN WWAP 2003). There is still a lot of work to be done in monitoring the waste that enters our waters and limiting its pollution. We urge our Congressional the Environmental Protection Agency to rescind their misguided modifications to the WOTUS.