A U.S. Supreme Court ruling determined the Clean Water Act only applies to wetlands if they have a 'continuous surface connection' to larger, regulated bodies of water, leaving 'isolated' wetlands open to development or infill.
In a 5-4 ruling in the case of Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency
The 3,000-acre refuge, located 40 miles north of Peoria, is a protected natural area and not in danger of being drained or turned into a shopping center, he said, but it points to the ruling’s flaws. “Basically, all waters are connected, unless it’s in a swimming pool,” he said. “Water either flows into a creek or river or it gets into groundwater. A lot of water is flowing through the ground.”
“Congress punted on which are protected” and created a “40-year running argument between the executive branch and the judicial branch,” Botts said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Supreme Court decision puts property rights over clean waterThe U.S. Supreme Court has made it harder for the federal government to police water pollution.
Read more »
Supreme Court Limits Federal Power Over Wetlands, Boosts Property Rights Over Clean WaterIt’s the second decision in as many years in which a conservative majority of the court narrowed the reach of environmental regulations.
Read more »
Supreme Court limits federal power over wetlands, boosts property rights over clean waterBy a 5-4 vote, the court said in an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito that wetlands can only be regulated under the Clean Water Act if they have a “continuous surface connection” to larger, regulated bodies of water. There is no such connection on the Sacketts’ property.
Read more »
The Supreme Court has narrowed the scope of the Clean Water ActThe U.S. Supreme Court placed new restrictions on the scope of the jurisdiction the Clean Water Act has over wetlands, ruling in favor of Idaho landowners who had challenged the law.
Read more »
Supreme Court cuts EPA's Clean Water Act protection for wetlandsThe Supreme Court significantly rolled back federal safeguards for wetlands under the Clean Water Act, siding with Idaho property owners in a decision that curbs EPA power.
Read more »
Supreme Court limits EPA protection for wetlands, ruling for property rights over clean waterIn a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court limits federal protection for wetlands, ruling that marshy areas are usually not covered by the Clean Water Act.
Read more »