Army and EPA to Review Waters of the US Rule

Posted on 3/6/2017 by Roger Marks

In response to the Presidential directive issued last month, the US EPA and the Army announced today their intention to review and rescind or revise the 2015 Waters of the United States Rule.

The challenge to the rule is based largely on the interpretation of a key phrase within the Clean Water Act (CWA): “navigable waters.” When finalized, the Waters of the United States Rule, or WOTUS Rule, expanded the scope of waters that are considered “navigable” and therefore subject to certain requirements of the CWA.

Water pollution in United States

EPA’s interpretation of “navigable waters” drew from Supreme Court decisions, including Rapanos vs. United States. The President has ordered that EPA reconsider its interpretation of what constitutes a “navigable water” using stricter criteria set forth in an opinion written by late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on the Rapanos case.

To read more about the interpretations and Supreme Court decisions surrounding the Waters of the US Rule, read the post POTUS Puts WOTUS on Notice from last week.

New Clean Water Act Training - Online 24/7

New for 2017! The Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations Online Course i will help you build a full understanding of the EPA’s major water regulations and how they affect your operations.

Major topics covered in the new online course include:

NPDES permit and control requirements
SPCC plan basics and EPA reporting obligations
US EPA pretreatment standards
EPA’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) program
Water quality standards for public systems and MCLs

More courses for EHS Managers:

Clean Air Act Regulations Online
TSCA Regulations Online
Clean Water Act & SDWA Regulations Online
New! Superfund and Right-to-Know Act Regulations Online

Tags: Act, Clean, EPA, new rules, Water, WOTUS

Find a Post

Search for:

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

I like Lion's workshops the best because they really dig into the information you need to have when you leave the workshop.

Tom Bush, Jr.

EHS Manager

You blew the doors off the competition!

Stephen Bieschke

Facilities Manager

Course instructor was better prepared and presented better than other trainers. Course manual and references were easier to use as well.

Marty Brownfield

Hazardous Waste Professional

Lion does a great job summarizing and communicating complicated EH&S-related regulations.

Michele Irmen

Sr. Environmental Engineer

Lion was very responsive to my initial questions and the website was user friendly.

Michael Britt

Supply Chain Director

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

I used the IT support number available and my issue was resolved within a few minutes. I don't see anything that could have made it better.

Danny Province

EHS Professional

Excellent class, super instructor, very easy to follow. No rushing through material. Would like to take his class again.

Lawrence Patterson

EH&S Facility Maintenance & Security Manager

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

Very witty instructor, made the long times sitting bearable. One of the few training courses I can say I actually enjoyed.

John Hutchinson

Senior EHS Engineer

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Explore ten hazardous waste management errors that caused generators in California the most trouble last year.

Download

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.