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Final “Waters of the United States” Rule Remains Murky
Author(s) -
Santana Rachael Bruce
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.5942/jawwa.2015.107.0159
Subject(s) - jurisdiction , clean water act , clarity , federal jurisdiction , political science , law , agency (philosophy) , public administration , foundation (evidence) , environmental law , environmental protection , environmental planning , environmental science , sociology , ecology , water quality , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , biology
The final rule that redefines “waters of the United States” for purposes of federal regulation and oversight under the Clean Water Act was published in the Federal Register on June 29, 2015, and became effective Aug. 28, 2015. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the overall intent of the rule is to provide clarity on a complicated process for determining federal jurisdiction by making the definition “easier to understand, more predictable, and consistent with the law and peer‐reviewed science, while protecting the streams and wetlands that form the foundation of our nation's water resources.”