Hello Larry, We need your help to reform California’s outdated and inequitable water rights system. Three important bills are coming up for a vote next week and we need you to contact your legislator to tell them that you need them to vote YES on all three!AB 460 (Bauer Kahan) – gives the State Water Board greater […]
Read MoreCategory: Clean Water Act
Supreme Court Catastrophically Undermines Clean Water Protections
The Supreme Court just severely weakened the Clean Water Act. Its ruling in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency drastically limits the kinds of wetlands that the law protects from pollution. More than half of the 118 million acres of wetlands in the United States are threatened by this ruling. Here’s what you […]
Read MoreSackett v. EPA: Health of American Waters Hangs in the Balance
October 3, 2022 Wetlands are inextricably connected to lakes and rivers and play a crucial role in maintaining water quality. It seems obvious that you can’t protect one without protecting the other, but the Supreme Court is questioning that wisdom in a case called Sackett v. EPA. The court could use the case to blow […]
Read MoreSupreme Court Reinstates Rules Limiting Clean Water Act Protections
On April 6th, the Supreme Court reversed a 9th Circuit decision that limited the ability of states to protect rivers from the harmful effects of hydropower dams under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The rules adopted by the prior administration limited information available to the states, the time for review, and the scope of conditions that states can require in the licensing of […]
Read MoreLandmark Lawsuit Settlement Between Environmentalists and State Water Boards Strengthens Delta Protections
Enforceable transparency and analysis to replace years of failure to comply with existing water quality and flow standards. SACRAMENTO, California — Three California environmental nonprofits secured a landmark settlement agreement with the California State Water Resources Control Board to uphold the common law Public Trust Doctrine and other legal protections for imperiled fish species in […]
Read MoreClean Water Act: Trump’s rewrite is finalized. What happens now?
Apr 22, 2020 The Trump administration today finalized its controversial definition of what marshes, wetlands and streams quality for protections under the Clean Water Act. But don’t expect regulatory certainty anytime soon. EPA published its Navigable Waters Protection Rule in the Federal Register this morning, nearly four months after the administration unveiled the rule. Publication starts a […]
Read MoreGroundwater Rules!: We All Live Downstream
March 27, 2020By Jennifer Clary – Program Manager With all that’s happening right now, it can be difficult to pay attention to anything other than the news of the day. I’m focused on groundwater; how we use it – and use too much; how we protect it from pollution – or don’t; and how we […]
Read MoreHawai‘i Wildlife Fund v. County of Maui
The US Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion on this case, and the “Toxic Water Loophole”, this month. The case “centers on a wastewater facility in Maui that violated the law by discharging millions of gallons of treated sewage each day into the Pacific Ocean via the groundwater beneath the facility, devastating a formerly […]
Read MoreTrump Removes Pollution Controls on Streams and Wetlands
By Coral DavenportJan. 22, 2020 WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday finalized a rule to strip away environmental protections for streams, wetlands and groundwater, handing a victory to farmers, fossil fuel producers and real estate developers who said Obama-era rules had shackled them with onerous and unnecessary burdens. From Day 1 of his administration, President […]
Read MoreEPA Proposes to Narrow Water Quality Certification Authority Under the Clean Water Act
Carbon dioxide emissions may trigger a reflex in the carbon cycle, with devastating consequences, study finds. August 2019 The Environmental Protection Agency issued a lengthy proposed rule on August 9, 2019 to clarify the substantive and procedural requirements for water quality certifications under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. According to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the changes […]
Read MoreAttorney General Becerra to Supreme Court: The Clean Water Act Regulates Indirect Discharges of Pollutants into Our Nation’s Waters
From the Office of California Attorney General: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today, as part of a 14-state coalition, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Hawai’i Wildlife Fund, et al., v. County of Maui. In the brief, the coalition supports the environmental groups’ position that the indirect discharge of wastewater into the […]
Read MorePolluted Gravel Pit Breached in Flood
From Russianriver Keeper (www.russianriverkeeper.org) Our worst fears were realized in the Feb 28th flood event. The largest gravel pit mine, Syar’s Basalt Pit, had a complete levee failure on a section that had failed in previous floods. The image at left shows the breach in center of picture, with river on the left and Syar […]
Read MoreThe New Pollution: Monterey Bay is Swimming in Microplastic
Kevin Stark Monterey Bay — long considered an environmental success story—is now facing a new threat: tiny particles of plastic from single use drinking and food containers. And scientists are finding that it’s far worse than they suspected. The bay is a national marine sanctuary, a place where environmental protections and sustainable fishing have transformed […]
Read MoreThe future of the Clean Water Rule is in our hands
The EPA wants to reduce protections for headwater streams. Stand up for clean water today! Whether you fish or just simply understand the value of clean water, there is no law more important than the Clean Water Act. In 2015, the EPA developed a rule that affirmed Clean Water Act protections for “intermittent and ephemeral […]
Read MoreAction: Sign Petition Against Dirty Water Rule
Re: Waters of the United States, No.4 and Shutdown toolkit January 15 , 2019 EPA announced its Waters of the United States replacement or “Dirty Water Rule”. The administration’s talking points indicate that the proposal would restrict which wetlands and waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act, such as excluding ephemeral streams and wetlands […]
Read MorePacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations Leads Suit Against State Water Board to Protect Salmon in the Water Quality Control Plan
January 28, 2019 Maven Breaking News From the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA): On Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, a coalition of environmental, fishing, and Native American groups led by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) filed suit against the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). Plaintiffs demand that the […]
Read MoreNew Platform Offers Resources and Engagement Tools for California Water Agencies and Communities
Website provides a one-stop shop for information on the state’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sept. 18, 2018) Maven’s Notebook, in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Stanford’s Program on Water in the West (WitW), launched a new website today at www.groundwaterexchange.org to provide a central hub of science-based information related to […]
Read MoreStop the Dirty Water Rule
If Trump’s Dirty Water Rule is finalized it will leave millions of acres of wetlands without clear Clean Water Act safeguards, along with streams throughout the nation. This will jeopardize the sources of drinking water and create uncertainty for the communities and businesses that rely on access to clean water and the protections that wetlands […]
Read More“Dirty Water Rule” Actions to Take
January 15 , 2019 EPA announced its Waters of the United States replacement or “Dirty Water Rule”. The administration’s talking points indicate that the proposal would restrict which wetlands and waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act, such as excluding ephemeral streams and wetlands that are not “physically and meaningfully” connected to other jurisdictional […]
Read MoreCLEAN WATER ACT
EPA to scale back WOTUS definition — document Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News reporterGreenwire: December 6, 2018 The Trump administration will propose to severely restrict the number of wetlands and waterways covered by the Clean Water Act in an announcement expected next week. The proposed new definition of “waters of the U.S.,” or WOTUS, will erase federal […]
Read MoreTrump administration poised to strip protections from up to two-thirds of California streams and millions of acres nationwide
By Evan HalperDec 10, 2018 | 3:55 PM | Washington The Trump administration is poised to roll back Clean Water Act protections on millions of acres of waterways and wetlands, including up to two-thirds of California’s inland streams, following through on a promise to agriculture interests and real estate developers to rewrite an Obama-era rule limiting pollution. The administration’s […]
Read MoreTrump Administration Proposes Free Pass for Water Polluters
WASHINGTON (December 11, 2018) – The Trump administration took action today to weaken key parts of the Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers agencies jointly proposed exempting polluters from important programs that prevent and clean up water pollution, by removing protections from certain streams,wetlands, and other water bodies. This Dirty Water Rule […]
Read MoreClean Water Act Under Threat
The Trump administration’s upcoming proposal will dramatically reduce the scope of streams and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. This radical reinterpretation of the Clean Water Act could remove federal pollution safeguards for vital water bodies like ephemeral streams and wetlands. The new Dirty Water Rule is also likely to apply the protections of […]
Read MoreLegal Battle Staves Off Trump’s Assault on Clean Water Protections
By Michelle Chen, TruthoutPublished September 12, 2018 Since taking office, Donald Trump has waged a relentless attack on the nation’s waterways, but his efforts to strip away protections for rivers and wetlands have run into a tide of legal resistance. One of Trump’s first environmental policy directives was to choke off the foundational law protecting water bodies […]
Read MoreGood Introduction Video on the Clean Water Act
Hello, My name is Olivia Day. I’m emailing concerning your website. One of my students, Emma, came across your site while searching for environmental science and conservation sites. I’m working on a revamp of our class portal website and I’m letting the students help out with adding some new and interesting content. We are currently […]
Read MoreLawsuit Launched to Protect Endangered Species From Trump Administration’s Rollback of Clean Water Protections
by Waterkeeper Alliance Feb 14 2018 Conservation groups filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for failing to consider harm to endangered species when adopting a rule that delays the effective date for the 2015 Clean Water Rule. That rule redefined which waterways […]
Read MoreHelp Stop Pesticide Contamination in Smith River Estuary
By Greg King, Siskiyou Land Conservancy After many years the California North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has finally released a long awaited report that provides new and devastating data from the Smith River estuary: From 2013-15 state scientists found 17 highly toxic pesticides in surface waters of the lower Smith River. They also found at […]
Read MoreLawsuit Launched to Protect Endangered Species From Trump Administration’s Rollback of Clean Water Protections
by Waterkeeper Alliance Feb 14 2018 Conservation groups filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for failing to consider harm to endangered species when adopting a rule that delays the effective date for the 2015 Clean Water Rule. That rule redefined which waterways are protected […]
Read MoreDeciphering dueling analyses of clean water regulations
To All, This is a short policy forum piece from Science worth reading to see the arguments fabricated by the Trump administration to overturn the 2015 Waters of the United States rule. This is the rule that addresses the reach of the Clean Water Act. How far does it extend into wetlands, if at all. […]
Read MoreState Water Board Issues Revised Rule for Definition of Wetlands and Dredge/Fill Procedures
Elizabeth “Betsy” Lake HIGHLIGHTS: The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has published its final draft proposed rule for a “State Wetland Definition and Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State” (Proposed Rule). The Proposed Rule includes a definition of wetlands applicable to State Water Board […]
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