US Edition
Environmental groups warn PERMIT Act may increase pollution in waterways
The bill redefines protected waters, shortens permit review to 60 days, and passed mostly along party lines, raising concerns over increased pollution risks to wetlands and waterways.
- On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act, introduced in May by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, to ease regulatory burdens.
- Republican sponsors said the Clean Water Act permitting regime is broken and can be weaponized, and the bill would set timelines, increase transparency and codify exemptions to protect businesses and infrastructure project proponents.
- Seven amendments on the floor included Rep. Aaron Bean's codification of state dredge-and-fill programs, Rep. Zach Nunn's voluntary pilot for nutrient-impaired waterways, and Rep. Scott Peters' funding amendment for the International Boundary and Water Commission, alongside revisions to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
- The measure would redefine navigable waters to exclude ephemeral streams, groundwater and waste systems, while Democrats and environmental groups said it 'protects water polluters' and limits review time, proponents said it prevents project delays.
- Environmental groups in Kentucky warned the bill could increase pollution risks in strained waterways, complicate Ohio River Restoration Act efforts, and stop industries from disclosing PFAS discharges to the EPA.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Ohio Capital Journal
US House advances bill around water permits; environmental groups say it guts water protections
Wetland near the Annette Nature Center in Warren County. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens. Democrats and environmental groups said the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today, or the PERMIT Act, protects water polluters and removes clean water protections. The PERM…
washingtonstatestandard.com
Dailyfly - Lewis Clark Valley NewsEnvironmental groups say permitting bill passed by US House guts clean water protections
Wetland near the Annette Nature Center in Warren County. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens. Democrats and environmental groups said the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today, or the PERMIT Act, protects water polluters and removes clean water protections. The PERM…
In Attack on Clean Water, House Passes Dangerous PERMIT Act
Washington, D.C. — Today the House voted largely along party lines to pass the PERMIT Act. The legislation would weaken the Clean Water Act, one of America’s bedrock environmental laws, in serious ways, including by: Reducing clean water protections across the board: Creates an enormous loophole that could exclude entire categories of waterways from the Act’s protections altogether. Enabling PFAS and agricultural pollution: Allows discharges of…
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