WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2018) President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to scale back the federal government's protection of bodies of water in the United States, the US Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
� "Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army (Army) are proposing a clear, understandable, and implementable definition of 'waters of the United States' that clarifies federal authority under the Clean Water Act," the release said.
The proposal put forth by the EPA along with the Department of the Army would modify the government's definition of "waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act, which protects the country's rivers, wetlands and other waterways from pollution.
Former President Barack Obama's administration expanded that definition to allow the federal government to protect smaller streams and tributaries, along with larger waterways.
But in Tuesday's press release, EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the proposal would roll back the federal government's authority over smaller waterways, allowing local authorities to decide whether these need to be protected.
"The agencies' proposal gives states and tribes more flexibility in determining how best to manage their land and water resources while protecting the nation's navigable waters as intended by Congress when it enacted the Clean Water Act," the release said.
The EPA said the proposal would result in significant cost savings, while still protecting US navigable waters and helping to sustain economic growth and reduce barriers to business development.
The proposal also details what would not be considered "waters of the United States," such as features that only contain water during rainfall, groundwater, ditches, stormwater control features, and waste treatment systems, the release said.
The proposal will now go into a 60-day public comment period when it is published in the Federal Register, the release said.
