WOTUS
Another amicus curiae brief in support of Clean Water Rule is filed on behalf of the Society of Wetland Scientists
SWS Membership Benefits On July 24, 2018 an amicus curiae brief in support of Clean Water Rule was filed in the North Dakota Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Clean Water Rule case. The brief reiterates that the Clean Water Rule is scientifically sound and is based on state of the science studies, including those in the EPA’s…
Read MoreSWS 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 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 MoreSupreme Court decision on WOTUS jurisdiction spurs EPA action
SWS Membership Benefits Written by the American Fisheries Society On January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that challenges to the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule must be heard in district courts rather than in U.S. Federal Courts of Appeal presenting a procedural hurdle to the Trump Administration’s efforts to repeal and replace the 2015 rule with…
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 MoreHouse to examine state capacity to administer wetland protection
SWS Membership Benefits The House Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on the Environment is scheduled to discuss the future of the Waters of the U.S. Rule or “WOTUS” rule. The regulation determines which wetlands and small waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act. The subcommittee will also examine state participation in administering Clean Water…
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…
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