Supreme Court Ruling Rolls Back Clean Water Protections, Endangering Environment and Public Health 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a setback for clean water protections, the U.S. Supreme Court today invalidated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permitting requirements regulating water pollution, undermining the agency’s authority under the Clean Water Act to prevent pollution that harms human health and the environment. The decision eliminates an essential tool that the EPA and states have used for decades to enforce water quality standards and imposes a heavy burden on agencies to manage the pollution threats to lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. 

The following is a statement from Becky Hammer, senior attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“The Supreme Court has taken away another critical legal tool to prevent pollution, all while the Trump administration is pledging to gut the agency's ability to protect the public. The practical consequence will be an increase in water contamination for countless communities across the country, until the EPA and states can update the thousands of permits impacted by today’s ruling.” 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).