Under New EPA Rule, Protections Would Dry up for Many Wetlands

Trump administration to strip protections for wetlands and streams, leaving Illinois habitat at risk

President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to slash federal protections for the nation’s wetlands and streams, potentially leaving millions of acres of habitat in Illinois and the Midwest vulnerable to being dug up, filled in or paved over.At the heart of the proposal announced earlier this week is a new, stricter definition to the long-debated legal term, “Waters of the United States,” the federal guidance that determines which bodies of…

Federal government looks to scale back environmental protections after North Idaho couple’s case

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new rule that would drastically reduce the number of wetlands protected by federal environmental regulations.

Under new EPA rule, protections would dry up for many wetlands

Many acres of wetlands across the vast Mississippi River basin would lose federal protection under a new rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Agricultural and builders’ groups have called it a win for private property owners. Environmental groups warn that it will exacerbate costly challenges like flooding that already plague the river and its tributaries.  The new rule, proposed Nov. 17, is the latest in a convoluted, dec…

EPA Looks to Ditch Roadside Ditches

Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a series of proposed regulatory changes at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., Nov. 17.   What’s happening: After decades of uncertainty around potential federal permitting of ditches on project sites, the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved to provide new clarity Nov. 17, unveiling a proposed rule on Waters of the United States (WOTUS). And unlike past attempts to define or red…