SEATTLE — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against the Trump administration over what he says was an attempt “to dismantle key environmental protections within the Clean Water Act.”
On July 13, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published final changes to rules implementing section 401 of the Clean Water Act regarding states’ certification of water quality.
Ferguson said section 401 allows states and tribal nations to protect health and safety within their geographic boundaries by making permitting decisions related to the discharge of waste into state waterways.
The new rule takes effect Sept. 11. Ferguson said it undermines the state’s right to keep its rivers, lakes and coastal waters clean “by handcuffing the state’s ability to police a wide range of water pollution and related environmental damage.”
The case is co-led by Washington, New York and California and is joined by 17 other states and the District of Columbia. It was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to the states’ lawsuit, the new rule “unlawfully violates the plain language, intent and established case law interpreting the Clean Water Act.”
“Instead of protecting the environment, this administration is yielding to polluting industries and undermining a key tool states use to protect their water,” Ferguson said. “We will continue to advocate for a clean and healthy Washington and confront the powerful special interest groups that dictate this administration’s actions.”
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Cox Media Group
