High Court Drops ‘Earthquake’ on Federal Water Protections (1)

The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to deal federal wetland and waterway safeguards a near-fatal blow by hearing arguments to limit the scope of the EPA’s power under the Clean Water Act, attorneys say.

If you’re someone who cares about water quality and wetlands, “you’re sick to your stomach,” said Dave Owen, an environmental law professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. “This is a very big deal.”

The court is expected in Sackett v. EPA to narrowly define waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, possibly undermining two Environmental Protection Agency rulemakings that are poised to ...