EPA, Army Corps of Engineers propose expanded Clean Water Act authority

In a proposed rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it would expand jurisdiction over streams, wetlands and other waters that form the nation’s water resources, according to Drovers CattleNetwork.

Although EPA says the rule will only apply to all CWA programs and not protect any new types of waters that have not historically been covered under the Act, the agency’s economic analysis shows an increase of jurisdictional determinations.

The rule is based on a report titled “Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence.”