Current Events > Trump admin looking to roll back rules against water pollution

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The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed reduced federal protections for many small waterways such as streams and wetlands, opening them up to potential new harm from developers, energy companies and others.

The Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) proposal would redefine the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), a legal term for which waterways are protected from harm and pollution by the federal government under the Clean Water Act.

The change is a major victory for developers, energy companies and other industries that emit water pollutants and use land. They had complained that under the 2015 rule created by the Obama administration, large swaths of often dry land required permits for routine activities.

The announcement came days after the EPA set out plans to roll back carbon dioxide limits for new coal-fired power plants. In recent months, the agency has moved to repeal or weaken regulations on auto efficiency, power plant emissions, methane pollution and other major rules, mainly from the Obama administration.

EPAs new plan is already setting off alarm bells from environmentalists, who say it could present a grave threat to drinking water, wildlife and ecosystems.

Its also guaranteed to kick off numerous aggressive lawsuits once the EPA makes the changes final.

The Obama rule is only currently in effect in about half of the countrys states, due to lawsuits challenging it.

Trump administration officials said that the new rule would make it easier and simpler for farmers, landowners, developers, states and others to tell if a water body is federally protected.

Streamlining that determination is important to industries because certain activities that could pollute water, like filling ditches or moving ponds, might require an expensive federal permit.

EPA leaders are promoting the rule change as a means to give states more authority to regulate water pollution.

Our proposal would replace the 2015 definition with one that respects the rule of law and the primary role of states in managing their land and water resources. It would end years of uncertainty over where federal jurisdiction begins and ends, acting EPA chief Andrew Wheeler said at an event at agency headquarters with dozens of industry officials and Republican lawmakers.

Our new, more precise definition means that hard-working Americans will spend less time and money determining whether they need a federal permit and more time upgrading aging infrastructure, building homes, creating jobs and growing crops to feed our families, he said.

Under the Trump administrations proposed definition, certain small streams that are tributaries of larger water bodies will no longer be protected, nor will wetlands that arent directly connected to otherwise protected waters such as rivers.

Streambeds that only have water when it rains also wont be subject to federal protection.

David Ross, head of the EPAs water office, said the rule keeps many of the same features of the one from 2015. But the biggest differences come in the definitions of wetlands and tributaries, he told reporters on Monday.

He pointed to many of the inclusions and exclusions in the new rule, saying, a lot of that language was actually pulled from the 2015 rule.

EPA could not offer clear numbers for the amount of waterways that would lose protections under the new proposal.

Ross said regulators could not quantify the amount and he criticized attempts to do so, saying many of the determinations would have to be made on-site.

Environmentalists are warning that about 60 percent of stream miles will no longer be protected from pollution under the rule.
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Before joining the EPA, Ross worked for the Republican attorneys general of Wyoming and Wisconsin to help sue to stop the 2015 rule.
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How else will he clean his coal?
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Fuck this war on health and science.
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The EPA was a China plot implemented from the brainwashing of Nixon to strangle businesses.
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Are they actively TRYING to be EVIL?
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Here's how it should be:

Completely contained in your property = do whatever the hell you want.
Runoff onto someone else's property = don't fuck it up.

Our proposal would replace the 2015 definition with one that respects the rule of law and the primary role of states in managing their land and water resources. It would end years of uncertainty over where federal jurisdiction begins and ends, acting EPA chief Andrew Wheeler said at an event at agency headquarters with dozens of industry officials and Republican lawmakers.

Water well known for remaining within its state boundaries at all times.
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These people are blithering idiots. It's so blatant and disgusting.
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Literally redefining water.

spudger posted...

Are they actively TRYING to be EVIL?

From day one.
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Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

The EPA was a China plot implemented from the brainwashing of Nixon to strangle businesses.

Are you really this dumb, or just being a troll?
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Eat More Beef posted...

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

The EPA was a China plot implemented from the brainwashing of Nixon to strangle businesses.

Are you really this dumb, or just being a troll?

Trolling assumes some attempt at actually riling people up while my post so obvious and layered enough, that anyone that isn't dumb should've been able to see it as satire.
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It's crazy to look at this from the outside. Like the energy companies and developers are the evil ones and the government is protecting us. Why can't people just stop fucking up the planet?
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Ranting Nord posted...

It's crazy to look at this from the outside. Like the energy companies and developers are the evil ones and the government is protecting us. Why can't people just stop fucking up the planet?

Cancel all of your utilities, and you'll figure out the answer pretty quickly.

Trump Admin is worse than Florida Man
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Ranting Nord posted...

It's crazy to look at this from the outside. Like the energy companies and developers are the evil ones and the government is protecting us. Why can't people just stop fucking up the planet?

Companies are just trying to make a profit and often screwing over the people is cheaper than the alternative. I wouldn't really call them evil.

We just no longer have a government that serves of the interest of the people over the corporations.
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spudger posted...

Are they actively TRYING to be EVIL?

duh
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Tmaster148 posted...

Companies are just trying to make a profit and often screwing over the people is cheaper than the alternative. I wouldn't really call them evil.

So morally, gaining profit renders irrelevant the act of screwing people over?
How is "Well they're just trying to make money" such a good excuse here for you?
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Tmaster148 posted...

Ranting Nord posted...

It's crazy to look at this from the outside. Like the energy companies and developers are the evil ones and the government is protecting us. Why can't people just stop fucking up the planet?

Companies are just trying to make a profit and often screwing over the people is cheaper than the alternative. I wouldn't really call them evil.

We just no longer have a government that serves of the interest of the people over the corporations.

Screwing over people is somehow not evil?
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Dragon239 posted...

Tmaster148 posted...

Companies are just trying to make a profit and often screwing over the people is cheaper than the alternative. I wouldn't really call them evil.

So morally, gaining profit renders irrelevant the act of screwing people over?
How is "Well they're just trying to make money" such a good excuse here for you?

Success doesn't care about morals. You can play the game "right" but you'll never beat the people who don't.

That's why you have the government create the rules for everyone to play by and then enforce them when people try to break them.
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Living people still support this admin
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