Clean Water Rule
SWS files amicus brief in Clean Water Rule suspension case
SWS Membership Benefits On Monday, the Society of Wetland Scientists filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to emphasize the importance of science in agency rulemakings. Several states and organizations have filed suit against the Trump administration for the suspension of the Clean Water Rule. The SWS…
Read MoreBrief of the Society of Wetland Scientists as Amicus Curiae Brief of the Society of Wetland Scientists as Amicus Curiaein Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment
SWS Membership Benefits Summary of Argument: An agency must provide a reasoned explanation when promulgating or amending a rule. An agency’s implausible explanation or its failure to consider relevant and significant aspects of a problem renders a rulemaking arbitrary and capricious. Because the EPA and Corps refused to consider the scientific basis of the Clean…
Read MoreWaters of the United States applicability date published
SWS Membership Benefits On February 6, the U.S. Army and EPA published a revised Clean Water Rule in the Federal Register that includes an applicability date. The purpose of the applicability date is to provide continuity and regulatory certainty for regulated entities while the agencies continue to consider possible revisions to the 2015 rule. Categories Biofuel CASS…
Read MoreScience Societies oppose the proposed addition of applicability date to Clean Water Rule
SWS Membership Benefits Dear Administrator Pruitt and Mr. Fisher: On behalf of our nearly 200,000 members, the undersigned science societies respectfully submit the following comments in response to your solicitation regarding the proposed rule, Definition of “Waters of the United States” – Addition of an Applicability Date to 2015 Clean Water Rule, EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0644, published in…
Read MoreScience Societies oppose the proposed addition of applicability date to Clean Water Rule
SWS Membership Benefits The Honorable Scott Pruitt Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Policy Regulatory Reform Mail Code 1803A 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20460 The Honorable Ryan Fisher Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Department of the Army 104 Army…
Read MoreScience societies oppose Scalia definition of WOTUS
SWS Membership Benefits In June, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the proposed repeal of the 2015 Clean Water Rule in anticipation of replacing it with a narrower definition of “Waters of the U.S.” or “WOTUS.” The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are currently soliciting recommendations for this new…
Read MoreScience Societies oppose Scalia definition of WOTUS
SWS Membership Benefits The Honorable Scott Pruitt Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Policy Regulatory Reform Mail Code 1803A 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20460 The Honorable Ryan A. Fisher Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Department of the Army 104…
Read MorePast president Davies featured in new article outlining WOTUS
SWS Membership Benefits SWS past president Gillian Davies was recently featured in an article outlining the complexities of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Clean Water Rule; “Davies likened wetland tributaries to capillaries in the body. If you introduce a pollutant into a capillary it can reach a vein and affect organ functioning. And…
Read MoreScientific societies respond to proposed WOTUS repeal
SWS Membership Benefits Re: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0203; FRL-9962-34-OW; Definition of “Waters of the United States” – Recodification of Pre-existing Rules Dear Administrator Pruitt and Deputy Assistant Secretary Lamont: We are submitting these comments regarding the proposed rule, Definition of “Waters of the United States” – Recodification of Pre-existing Rules, EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0203; FRL-9962-34-OW, published in the Federal Register…
Read MoreCASS requests proposed WOTUS Repeal not be exempted from the Administrative Procedures Act
SWS Membership Benefits Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall, The Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies (CASS) would like to urge your subcommittee not to adopt a policy rider that would allow the federal government to exempt the administration’s proposed repeal of the Clean Water Rule from the Administrative Procedures Act. The repeal of Clean…
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