Trump Administration Rolls Back Clean Water Act Protections

Repeal of Clean Water Act means industrial pollution will be able to flow more freely into waterways.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — (09-12-19) — Trump administration’ EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, outlined on Thursday Sept. 12, what led to the Trump administration cancelled the Obama-era definition of “waters of the United States.”

The repeal of a major Obama-era clean water regulation that had placed limits on industrial polluting chemicals near streams, wetlands and other bodies of water, is just another sign of this administration taking us back to the days of the 20th Century where we had our lakes, rivers, and ponds polluted with industrial waste and no one holding anyone responsible for it.

New Policy by the EPA designed to Prevent Future Administrations from changing Clean Water Policies

The rollback of the 2015 measure, known as the Waters of the United States rule, adds to a lengthy list of environmental rules that the administration has worked to weaken or undo over the past two and a half years. Those efforts have focused heavily on eliminating restrictions on fossil fuel pollution, including coal-fired power plants, automobile tailpipes, and oil and gas leaks, but have also touched on asbestos and pesticides.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler‘ announcement of the repeal of the water rule is expected to take effect in a matter of weeks. Activists are alarmed at the implications this could could bring.

The Trump administration’s decision will allow industrial polluting chemicals to flow freely once again into our streams and wetlands from farms, mines and factories.

With Thursday’s announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency is also aiming to establish a stricter legal definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Their goal is to prevent or at the least make it difficult for future administrations to take actions to protect waterways.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer