EPA and Army Push Back "Waters of the US" Applicability by 2 Years
US EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have proposed adding an applicability date to the much-debated 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Final Rule. The Final Rule, still stayed nationwide by court order and now under consideration by the Supreme Court, expanded the scope of the Clean Water Act to address discharges to bodies of water not previously covered.Spurred in part by an Executive Order issued by the President earlier this year, EPA recently moved forward with a two-step process to re-evaluate the 2015 rulemaking.
The contested 2015 Final Rule was set to take effect in August 2017. Now, the contested 2015 Final Rule will not take effect until late 2019 or 2020. By adding an applicability date to the original 2015 Final Rule, EPA aims to introduce some certainty into the ongoing debate about EPA’s clean water regulations.
This way, as EPA works to rescind or revise the 2015 Final Rule, regulated businesses will not have to fret over which definition of the “Waters of the United States” they should reference when planning their operations or evaluating the need for permits. Until the litigation and reconsiderations are complete, the pre-2015 version of the rules remains in effect.
While the 2015 Final Rule may never take effect as finalized, adding the applicability date will reduce confusion among EHS professionals about what rules to follow as EPA works to create a definition of “Waters of the United States” that will stand up in court.
See the proposed rule here.
EPA Clean Water Act Training - Online 24/7
The Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations Online Course will help you build a full understanding of EPA’s major water regulations and how they affect your operations.Major topics covered in the new online course include:
- NPDES permit and control requirements
- SPCC plan basics and EPA reporting obligations
- US EPA pretreatment standards
- EPA’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) program
- Water quality standards for public systems and MCLs
Clean Air Act Regulations Online
TSCA Regulations Online
Clean Water Act & SDWA Regulations Online
Superfund and Right-to-Know Act Regulations Online
Tags: Act, Clean, EPA, EPA compliance, EPA training, new rules, Water
Find a Post
Recent Posts
Compliance Archives
Download Our Latest Whitepaper
Explore ten hazardous waste management errors that caused generators in California the most trouble last year.
By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.