SWS and eight other scientific societies submitted comment letters on October 21, 2019 in opposition to the EPA’s proposed rule “Updating Regulations on Water Quality Certification” https://www.epa.gov/cwa-401/updating-regulations-water-quality-certification. The proposed rule provides no scientific basis for how it would contribute to upholding the mandate of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and…
Dear Administrator Wheeler and Mr. James, On behalf of the Society of Wetland Scientists and representing 3,000+ wetland and aquatic science professionals, we respectfully submit the following comments in response to your solicitation regarding the proposed Rule “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States” (proposed Rule) (84 FR 4154; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149), published…
Dear Administrator Wheeler and Assistant Secretary James: On behalf of the undersigned science societies, we respectfully submit the following comments in response to the proposed Rule “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States” (proposed Rule) (84 FR 4154; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149), published in the Federal Register on February 14, 2019.The undersigned scientific societies…
Dear Administrator Wheeler, On behalf of the Society of Wetland Scientists, representing approximately 3000 members, we respectfully request that EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers extend the public comment period from 60 days to a minimum of 200 days in length for the proposed rule “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’”…
The EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers issued a proposed Rule to replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which will greatly reduce the area of wetlands, headwaters, ephemeral and isolated wetlands and waters that are federally protected. SWS members who wish to comment on this Rule will have 60 days to submit comments once the Rule is…
The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina found that the Trump administration improperly suspended the Clean Water Rule (Read the Order). Specifically, the Court held that (1) the EPA and Corps violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by refusing to solicit public comment on the merits of suspending the Clean Water Rule…
On July 24, 2018 an amicus curiae brief in support of Clean Water Rule was filed in the North Dakota Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Clean Water Rule case. The brief reiterates that the Clean Water Rule is scientifically sound and is based on state of the science studies, including those in the EPA’s Connectivity Report.The Connectivity…
Interests of the Amicus Curiae The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) is a leading professional association of wetland and aquatic scientists around the world, including the United States. Established in 1980, SWS advances scientific and educational objectives related to wetland science and encourages professional standards in all activities related to wetland science. SWS has over…
New proposed rule posted, comment period ends April 15
The revised WOTUS Definition Proposed by the Engineers Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency was posted to the Federal Register on February 14. The document has a comment period that ends April 15, 2019. Science Societies WOTUS Comment Letter