New Policy Threatens More Pollution, Destruction of Wetlands 

As its name suggests, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with protecting our nation’s people and natural resources. But under the Trump Administration, the EPA is rolling back longstanding policies designed to protect our streams, lakes, other natural resources, and ultimately our communities.

More Destructive Than Sackett v. EPA

The undoing of protections started in 2023, when the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. EPA to weaken the Clean Water Act. However, this new policy could be even worse.

A news release from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says, “research reveals that this proposal would put at least 94 percent of wetlands in the continental United States at risk of pollution or destruction. The proposal also targets millions of miles of streams that do not flow year-round, which make up about 79 percent of the streams in the continental United States. These rollbacks go significantly farther in weakening the Clean Water Act than the Supreme Court’s infamous Sackett vs. EPA decision three years ago.” 

“What the Supreme Court did in its Sackett decision was an inexcusable assault on clean water. Communities and wildlife will pay the price until Congress fixes it. The Trump administration’s answer has been to make a bad situation worse,” said Jon Devine, NRDC’s director of freshwater systems. “This proposal declares open season on the nation’s waterways. It denies federal protection to virtually all wetlands and more than three quarters of our streams, endangering drinking water supplies and flood-prone communities – and the agencies admit it themselves. The proposal would virtually eliminate protection for freshwater wetlands. Their own analysis says most streams would lose protection, with the West hit hardest.”

Agenda Against “Climate Change Religion”

Despite all scientific evidence, the Trump Administration continues to vehemently reject and deny the effects of climate change. Lee Zeldin, EPA’s Administrator, says the rule is putting “a dagger through the heart of climate change religion.”

Who Benefits From The Rollbacks?

Opponents say the rollbacks benefit industrial polluters. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Healthy Communities Program Director Madeleine Foote was blunt:

“As families wrap up a summer spent swimming in their favorite river and fishing in their nearby lake, the Trump administration has decided to triple-down on their rollback of clean water safeguards–allowing big polluters to jeopardize our waters for all seasons going forward. While weakly trying to downplay the extreme measure by framing it as a ‘supplement’ to the already-terrible proposal they released last year, today’s proposal is devastating, eliminating federal safeguards for nearly all our nation’s freshwater wetlands and millions of miles of streams. Once again, Trump is putting the profits of his corporate cronies ahead of the health and safety of our families and the places we love.” 

How Does This Impact NC?

After the Supreme Court’s ruling on Sackett v. EPA, the conservative majority in the NC General Assembly passed a law opening up millions of acres of NC wetlands to destruction. The EPA’s latest policy would threaten even more wetlands with pollution and destruction. 

What’s Next?

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers will accept public comments for 30 days once the supplemental plan is published in the Federal Register, which is expected sometime this week. We will keep you up to date as things progress.