What does last week's SCOTUS decision mean?
Estimated reading time: 2m 31s
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The fight to protect American waterways from pollution just got a lot harder. Last week, the Supreme Court voted to narrow the scope of the Clean Water Act in a 5-4 decision. The court’s decision hinges on technicalities and a narrow interpretation of “waters of the United States,” which now effectively excludes millions of acres of wetlands around the country. This decision could hobble the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate pollution from industrial sites, agriculture and real estate developers looking to build near wetlands.
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(Photo credit: Wayne Parry/Associated Press) |
The Clean Water Act has been part of the backbone of the EPA since it was signed into law over 50 years ago. While it hasn’t reached its stated goals (make all US waters fishable and swimmable by 1983, eliminate water pollution by 1985 and prohibit dumping of toxic pollutants), the law has still resulted in a drastic decrease in polluted water over the last five decades. And conservatives have been trying to undermine it for years. |
Wetlands are a crucial part of clean water systems. They often act as natural filters for pollutants before water reaches treatment plants or other places where humans would come into contact with it. Think of them as nature's kidneys. In addition to their filtration capabilities, they also prevent shoreline erosion and protect coastal areas from storm damage in the event of hurricanes and tropical storms. The EPA’s loss of authority in this case means a greater possibility of ecological destruction and downstream effects like habitat loss for fish and wildlife and more chemical pollution and heavy metals like lead winding up in the domestic water supply. (Photo credit: Courtesy of Jacki Zevenbergen/Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District)
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How to keep up with what's happening
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Thanks for reckoning with me, Aria |
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