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On Thursday (September 12), President Donald Trump’s administration announced the repeal of a water regulation from President Barack Obama’s tenure that gave the Environmental Protection Agency broader control of waterways and set limits on pollutants. The 2015 regulation, called the Waters of the United States rule, clarified the definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act and allowed for greater government control of lakes, streams, and wetlands.
The rule was designed to limit pollution in 60 percent of waterways, which included sources of drinking water for one-third of the United States. Now, farmers will no longer need a permit to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers that could flow into waterways, reports The New York Times.
Supporters of the repeal saw the regulation as government overreach. For those who hold that view, “this is an opportunity to really drive a stake through the ...
