A recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) curtails the power of the EPA to address wetland protection and pollution, limiting its scope in control over water pollution through the Clean Water Act.
With the already tenuous state of clean water globally, what does it all mean? What are the implications, near and long-term? Find out in this recent article from the International WELL Building Institute featuring responses from water experts, including our vice president of water stewardship, Matt Howard.
“While the Supreme Court ruling is disappointing and seems to ignore the emerging science on how wetlands interconnect with other water bodies, this process raises a bigger question. That is, how much longer can we wait until comprehensive updates are made to the Clean Water Act? It’s been just over 30 years since its passage and watershed conditions, emerging contaminants, and the science of surface and groundwater connections have changed. Let’s use this setback to ignite broad-based improvements to our federal water laws. And while we’re at, develop a national water strategy to mitigate against these types of setbacks in the future.”
Matt Howard, The Water Council vice president of water stewardship