Circle of Blue. The Federal Water Tap 6/27/11
Taking the EPA’s Authority Away
A House committee approved a bill that would gut much of the EPA’s power to enforce clean water standards. The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act, approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would transfer regulatory power over water, wetlands and mountaintop mining to the states, Greenwire reports. The House leadership plans to hold a floor vote this summer.
In response, the EPA said the bill would undermine its role under the Clean Water Act, would make environmental protection more litigious, and could result in upstream states adopting standards that impair waters for those downstream, according to the agency’s legal analysis obtained by Greenwire. Read all the latest US water policy news