Judge Blocks Clean Water Rule

A federal judge in North Dakota blocked the Clean Water Rule from taking effect Friday in 13 states.

The rule, authored by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers expands the reach of the Clean Water Act to protect US streams and wetlands from pollution.

While the EPA says the Clean Water Rule will make permitting less costly, easier and faster for businesses and industry as it more precisely defines protected waters, industries including agriculture, oil and home-building have said the rule will add additional permitting and regulatory requirements.

The 13 states where the ruling has been temporarily halted are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Photo Credit: braid of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, via Shutterstock