The U.S. Supreme Court has sharply limited the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to protect and preserve wetlands under the Clean Water Act, a landmark, half-century-old environmental law.
The 5-4 majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, effectively ends protections for about half of all the wetlands in the contiguous United States. Conservation groups called the ruling a devastating setback for clean water and called on Congress to pass new legislation protecting wetlands.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in Washington: “The court’s decision today aims to take our country backwards. It will jeopardize the sources of clean drinking water for farmers, businesses and millions of Americans. Look, the Clean Water Act is the reason why America’s lakes today are swimmable, why we can fish in our streams and rivers, and why safe drinking water comes out of our taps.”
