“Wetlands and streams in 24 states will be threatened if no action is taken.

Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) is raising urgent concerns about a new rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would significantly roll back federal protections for wetlands and streams across the country. The proposal follows the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA, which overturned decades of established precedent under the Clean Water Act and sharply limited the scope of Waters of the United States (WOTUS).

In compliance with the Sackett decision, EPA has released a proposed rule that narrows federal oversight by removing protections for intermittent streams and wetlands connected through subsurface groundwater. These waters represent some of the most ecologically important freshwater sources feeding America’s estuaries, supporting water quality and natural flood defenses.

Currently, 24 out of 50 states rely on federal WOTUS protections for clean water enforcement of wetlands and streams. If this proposed rule becomes finalized, close to 80% of wetlands and over 5 million miles of streams would lose their protected status. Because most watersheds cross multiple state boundaries, this fragmented approach would create inconsistencies, weaken enforcement, and push environmental protections toward the lowest standards within the watershed. Federal policy must play a critical role in ensuring that states don’t export their pollution problems onto other states. History has shown the human and ecological costs savings of prevention are much greater than the costs of remediation.

“Eliminating safeguards for these critical waters puts our communities, coastlines, and ecosystems at extreme risk,” said Daniel Hayden, President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries. “Weakening these protections jeopardizes our drinking water quality, billions of dollars in coastal industries such as fisheries, boating, and shipping, as well as endangers critical infrastructure with increased upstream pollution.”

RAE urges federal leaders to reconsider the proposed rule and for Congress to clarify the legislation by restoring strong, science-based protections for wetlands and streams nationwide.” Source here.

About RAE.

Restore America’s Estuaries is dedicated to the protection and restoration of bays and estuaries as essential resources for our nation.