Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Protect our Waters
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett vs. EPA dealt a major blow to the Clean Water Act, placing in jeopardy millions of acres of wetlands and all people and wildlife that depend on these waterbodies for flood protection, sustenance, and other ecological services.
This ruling erodes long-standing clean water protections. Millions of acres of formerly protected wetlands could now be under threat.
The Court narrows the scope of the Clean Water Act by eliminating protections for wetlands, except in very limited circumstances. The EPA is now limited to issuing ineffective clean water standards, excluding tens of millions of acres of wetlands from the Clean Water Act’s oversight.
The Court has embraced the extreme demands of polluters and real estate developers and has dramatically narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act, undoing protections that have safeguarded our waters for more than 50 years.
This places our communities, public health, and local ecosystems in danger – especially those most vulnerable to pollution and intensifying climate disasters.
Congress and state officials across the country need to act fast to protect water bodies that our nation relies on for drinking, fishing, and fueling local economies.
>>>To learn more about the ruling and what’s at stake, visit Environment America’s media statement.