Federal regulations do not protect America’s rivers from pollution

A recent study shows that half of the water in U.S. rivers is at risk of contamination due to weak federal regulations, highlighting a significant gap in Clean Water Act protections.

Sharon Udasin reports for Hill.

In short:

• Seasonal rivers, which appear only after weather events occur, constitute 55% of U.S. river waters and are not federally protected.
• A Supreme Court ruling in May 2023 excluded these temporary streams from the Clean Water Act, affecting each region differently.
• The study highlights that pollution from intermittent streams can impact downstream waters, requiring more extensive regulatory measures.

Key Quote:

“The irony is that the federal Clean Water Act was passed precisely because state and local governments were deemed to be doing a poor job of protecting the nation’s waterways.”

—Doug Kysar, professor at Yale Law School and co-author of the study

Why is it important:

The exclusion of ephemeral streams from federal oversight threatens water quality nationwide, creating health risks and undermining ecosystem protections. Closing this loophole is critical to protecting our water resources and public health. Read more: EPA’s new rule rejects science, ignores importance of wetlands and tributaries.