Under the Biden administration’s proposed rule, energy infrastructure will get more scrutiny from local regulators
This is moving in the right direction, especially for tribes, but there is still the issue of state preemption that typically blocks local action to protect water. That still needs to be challenged.
By Dino Grandoni in The Washington Post on June 2, 2022.
Now, the EPA is seeking to restore states’ authority, making it easier for local officials, including Native American tribes, to scrutinize proposals to build many highways, hydroelectric dams, shopping malls, housing developments and even wineries and breweries.
“For 50 years, the Clean Water Act has protected water resources that are essential to thriving communities, vibrant ecosystems, and sustainable economic growth,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “EPA’s proposed rule builds on this foundation.”
Although the proposed rule does not explicitly target fossil-fuel infrastructure, Democrats may seek to invoke it to reduce emissions contributing to global warming. New York, for instance, once used its power under the Clean Water Act to nix a gas pipeline that it said was “inconsistent” with the state’s climate goals…
See the full story in the Washington Post.
Photo credit: David Becker on Unsplash.