Skip to content

Clean Water Act

Supreme Court Weakens Rules On Discharging Raw Sewage Into Water

March 5, 2025 Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch. , , , , , ,
The United States Supreme Court has voted five to four to weaken rules that govern how much pollution is discharged into the country’s water supply, undermining the 1972 Clean Water Act. The case involved San Francisco suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the city was found to have violated the terms of a permit required for the discharge of wastewater pollution into the Pacific Ocean, reported The Washington Post. San Francisco officials argued that the EPA’s authority had been exceeded due to vague permit rules that made it impossible to tell when a line had been crossed.

Groups Sue Trump Administration To Protect Clean Water

September 3, 2020 Earth Justice. , , ,
Washington, D.C. — American Indian and Alaska Native federally recognized Tribes and environmental groups, represented by Earthjustice, sued the Trump administration over its attempt to weaken clean water protections. The rule changes proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would force states and Tribes to accept damaging and unwanted pipelines and other fossil fuel projects on their lands. The EPA reverses its long-standing interpretation of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act in a move that is contrary to the language, purpose, and intent of the statute. 

Court: State Can Stop Gas Pipeline Under Clean Water Act

August 25, 2017 Mary C. Serreze, www.masslive.com , ,
By Mary C. Serreze for Mass Live. Fossil fuel foes are claiming victory after a federal appeals court on Friday upheld New York's move to block a federally permitted interstate natural gas pipeline that failed to meet state water quality standards. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation acted properly in 2016 when it denied Constitution Pipeline a Section 401 certificate under the U.S. Clean Water Act, effectively vetoing the project, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. The judicial review "carries nationwide implications, as it will invariably influence states' decisions to block pipelines under the Clean Water Act across the country," said the Natural Resources Defense Council in a statement. "This victory is an important reminder to all states that they have the power to stop harmful pipeline projects," asserted the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance. In its 27-page decision, the Second Circuit said Congress intended the states to "retain the power to block, for environmental reasons, local water projects that might otherwise win federal approval."
Sign Up To Our Daily Digest

Independent media outlets are being suppressed and dropped by corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our daily email digest before it’s too late so you don’t miss the latest movement news.