Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled that federal district courts, rather than appellate courts, are the proper venue to challenge the “Waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) Rule (discussed in a previous blog post here), an Obama-era regulation that expansively defined waters subject to Clean Water Act jurisdiction.  Following the Supreme Court decision, the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday vacated its 2015 decision which held the opposite.  In doing so, it also remanded a challenge to the WOTUS Rule brought by a coalition of states (led by Georgia) in 2015 in the federal district court in Brunswick, Georgia.

Continue Reading Challenge to WOTUS Rule Heads Back to Georgia District Court

Today, in a much-anticipated decision, the Supreme Court unanimously held that district courts are the proper courts to hear challenges to the “Waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) Rule, an Obama-era regulation that expansively defined waters subject to Clean Water Act jurisdiction.  The decision overturns a Sixth Circuit ruling that federal appeals courts maintain the proper jurisdiction to hear such challenges.  Writing for the Court, Justice Sotomayor found that “Congress has made clear that rules like the WOTUS Rule must be reviewed first in federal district courts.”

Continue Reading Supreme Court Decides Jurisdiction for WOTUS Rule Challenges

On August 28, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (Army) published a Federal Register notice announcing that the agencies will hold ten teleconferences to hear from stakeholders on recommendations to revise the definition of ‘‘Waters of the United States’’ or “WOTUS” under the Clean Water Act. Nine of the teleconferences will be stakeholder specific calls, i.e., agriculture (row crop, livestock, silviculture); conservation (hunters and anglers); small entities (small businesses, small organizations, small jurisdictions); construction and transportation; environment and public advocacy (including health and environmental justice); mining; industry (energy, chemical, oil/gas); scientific organizations and academia; and stormwater, wastewater management, and drinking water agencies. One of the teleconferences will be open to the general public.

Continue Reading EPA and Army Schedule Public Meetings on Revisions to Definition of WOTUS

As previously reported, President Trump has issued an Executive Order calling on EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to formally review the “Clean Water Rule” also known as the Water of the United States (WOTUS) Rulemaking. On April 19, EPA laid outs its plans for revising the Clean Water Rule consistent with the Executive Order in a meeting with state and local officials. Continue Reading EPA Sets Out Plans For WOTUS Replacement

In a brief ceremony yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order requiring EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the final “Clean Water Rule,” also known as the  Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule to ensure it is consistent with a new policy also laid out in the order to keep the Nation’s navigable waters free from pollution “while at the same time promoting economic growth, minimizing regulatory uncertainty, and showing due regard for the roles played by Congress and the States under the Constitution.”  Although implementation of the Rule has been stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit pending further court review, the Executive Order also requires EPA and the Corps to review all orders, rules, regulations, guidelines, or policies implementing the Rule and to revise or rescind such rules consistent with the Executive Order.

Continue Reading Trump Issues Executive Order Compelling EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Formally Review WOTUS

The Supreme Court granted certiorari today in the long running dispute as to whether the federal district courts or appellate courts have jurisdiction to decide the viability of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule under the Clean Water Act.  The controversial definitional section proposed for the CWA would expand federal jurisdiction for waterways and wetlands.  Set for review is the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s decision to hear legal challenges over the rule in lieu of district courts who are considered to be a potentially more favorable venue.  Multiple state, industry and farm groups have challenged the joint U.S. EPA-Army Corps of Engineers’ rule.  In February, the Sixth Circuit ruled 2-1 that it had jurisdiction to hear the challenges rather than the district courts. A nationwide stay of the rule accompanied the Circuit’s ruling pending the resolution of the litigation. The National Association of Manufacturers, along with 31 states, petitioned the Supreme Court to reconsider the Sixth Circuit’s jurisdictional decision.

On Friday, October 7, 2016, several industry trade organizations and associations, as respondents, filed a brief requesting that the U.S. Supreme Court review the fractured decision of the Sixth Circuit to exercise jurisdiction over various challenges to the EPA-Army Corps issued Waters of the United States (”WOTUS”) Rule under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”).

Continue Reading Petition to the Supreme Court to Review WOTUS Jurisdiction Quandary

The Sixth Circuit today issued an order staying the applicability of the EPA and Army Corps’ recently promulgated Clean Water Rule. The stay applies nationwide.

A coalition of private parties, industry groups, and more than 30 states challenged the Rule asserting that it unlawfully expanded the jurisdictional reach of the Clean Water Act. A coalition of state petitioners asked the Court to enter a stay with the Court today concluding that a stay was appropriate because, among other things, there was a likelihood that the petitioners would succeed on the merits. Continue Reading Sixth Circuit Issues Stay of WOTUS Rule

Better late than never, but on January 4, EPA published its Fall 2022 Unified Regulatory Agenda. The Reg Agenda includes a few new rulemaking initiatives and a number of schedule changes that were largely expected since EPA has been running a few months behind on most of their major rulemakings (e.g., WOTUS, 401 Water Quality Certification, Steam Electric ELG, Lead and Copper Rule Improvements).

Continue Reading Steam Electric ELG Surprise in EPA’s Fall Regulatory Agenda