In an effort to enforce clean water rules, President Obama passed a law that gives EPA authority to claim land that contains rivers and ditches.
In response, 13 states have sued while a federal Judge has blocked it saying that the administration has overstepped its bounds yet again.
The federal judge, based in North Dakota, could not find any reason why the EPA justified the 4000-foot standard, in saying, “The rule asserts jurisdiction over waters that are remote and intermittent waters. No evidence actually points to how these intermittent and remote wetlands have any nexus to a navigable-in-fact water.”
The EPA, in accordance to the ruling, said that it was honor the injunction by the judge but move forward with these new rules in the other states. As the agency said in a statement, these rules will be effective as of August 28, 2015.
As for dealing with the injunction, the agency said that it considering what steps will be taken next in regard to litigation once the judge’s order are evaluated.
These new rules, called the Waters of the United States, have been controversial right from the start.
The Obama administration also said that it was only trying to clear up confusion that was caused due to an earlier court decision that was vague about how far the Clean Water Act could be stretched.
Now, that law gave the EPA power over ‘navigable’ waters as well as land where the water runs off into other waters. Yet it is these provisions that have been met with mixed reactions while being hotly debated too.
It was last year that the administration wrote new definitions that subjects all waters within 4000 feet of navigable water under the control and review of the EPA.
Republicans, who have opposed the President’s ruling for a long time, welcomed the judge’s ruling with enthusiasm.