The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to continue to press forward with new rules defining the types of rivers, streams and wetlands that fall under Clean Water Act protections, despite a looming Supreme Court case that will weigh in on the same issue, EPA’s top official said at a congressional appropriations hearing April 29.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan, speaking before the House’s appropriations subcommittee on interior and the environment, said EPA officials have been meeting with farmers and other groups to get their perspective and “will continue to move forward.” However, he noted that the second part of the proposal that has not yet been released may not be finalized until after the court hands down a decision sometime next year. “We believe our rule will be in a position to respond and adjust to the Supreme Court ruling,” he said, adding, “If we discontinued the roundtables and stopped right now, we’re going to lose a lot of ground.”