With a newly issued final regulation, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers are seeking to end years of uncertainty over which streams, wetlands and other bodies of water fall under federal jurisdiction and which are governed by the states.
But the rule, which the agencies signed on May 27, has by no means eased a long-raging storm of criticism from industry groups and some members of Congress. Industry officials say that opponents are likely to try to block or undo the regulation in the courts. If that comes to pass, construction firms still will face a murky regulatory landscape when it comes to water.