Many of you will remember that the sixth time EPA attempted to resolve the reach of the Federal Clean Water Act by regulation, during the Obama Administration, the ensuing litigation resulted in the Obama Administration rule being Federal law in half of the states with the prior rule remaining Federal law in the other half of the states.
Of course that flies in the face of the entire notion of Federal law.
Following a decision by a South Carolina District Court Judge this week, it seems less likely we'll see that again, even temporarily, with respect to EPA's seventh attempt to resolve the reach of the Federal Clean Water Act by regulation during the Trump Administration.
This time EPA has asked the Courts in South Carolina and California and Massachusetts to dismiss pending challenges of the Trump Administration regulation because EPA is going to make an eighth attempt to do what the Obama and Trump Administrations failed to do. So far the Courts are doing as EPA has asked, over the objections of those who are challenging the regulation, as reported comprehensively by Lara Beaven of Inside EPA.
So, for now, the Trump Administration Clean Water Act regulations are the law of the entire land even though the Biden Administration EPA says that they're causing significant ecological harm and will therefore ultimately be repealed and replaced.
All of that will take some number of years and why anyone thinks those regulations won't also be challenged is beyond me. But, at least for now, we have one rule for everyone even if it isn't what EPA says the rule should be.
{ "Having considered Defendants' Motion for Voluntary Remand Without Vacatur and the parties' responses thereto, the Court hereby GRANTS the Motion," Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina says in a July 14 order in South Carolina Coastal Conservation League (SCCCL), et al. v. Regan, et al. "Accordingly, the Navigable Waters Protection Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States" 85 Fed. Reg. 22,250 (Apr. 21, 2020) is remanded without vacatur. All other pending motions are hereby denied as moot and this action is dismissed," the order continues.
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