EPA proposal threatens local streams and wetlands

Streams and wetlands in Jefferson and Lewis and Clark counties face losing federal protections under a new proposal to redefine the waters to be regulated by the Clean Water Act.

In November, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers proposed a change to the so-called Waters of the United States (WOTUS) that would potentially remove federally-mandated protections from a significant number of U.S. water bodies. 

The 1972 Clean Water Act established that Americans own their water and the government serves as trustee of the resource, tasked with making sure it’s clean and available. The EPA says the new WOTUS policy will “cut red tape” and provide certainty for farmers, ranchers and developers making decisions about water body use.