In May, Representative Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, introduced the Clean Water for All Act (H.R.6745). This bill would prohibit implementation of the Trump administration’s regulation redefining Waters of the United States (WOTUS). This regulation represents the most severe rollback of clean water protections in the history of the Clean Water Act.

This rule defines WOTUS in a way that eliminates protections for all wetlands that do not have a “continuous physical connection to a protected water body.” This means that if a wetland does not actually touch a large river, lake or the ocean, it could be drained and filled without a permit. In addition, all streams that only flow after precipitation events, known as ephemeral streams, would lose protection even though they flow right to streams and rivers that provide drinking water for millions of Americans. This definition threatens to dramatically harm water quality across America, is not supported by science and will undermine the outdoor recreation economy.