On Aug. 27, a United States District Court for the District of North Dakota issued an order blocking the controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule hours before it was due to take effect. Judge Ralph Erickson found that the 13 states suing to block the rule met the conditions necessary for a preliminary injunction. Erickson included that the states would likely be harmed if courts didn’t act.
The decision is a major roadblock for the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, who were planning to begin enforcing the WOTUS rule last week, expanding federal jurisdiction over small waterways like streams and wetlands. Read more here.
Stream + Wetlands will continue to monitor this situation and provide information as it becomes available.