The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers have drafted a proposed rule that they say aims to clear up the issue of which bodies of water fall under federal regulatory jurisdiction and which do not.
建筑官员担心EPA和军团将太广泛地定义了联邦管制的水域。环境团体称赞该机构的行动。
EPA和军团于9月17日将其提案草案发送给管理和预算办公室，该办公室将协调其他联邦机构对草案的审查。审查后，下一步将是拟议规则的正式出版。EPA和军团没有发布草案的文字。
The Clean Water Act states that "waters of the United States" are subject to federal regulation. For construction companies, that means projects in certain wetlands and other areas that meet that definition require a Corps permit.
多年来，即使在2001年和2006年2006年的湿地裁决中，确定哪种湿地和类型的流是美国水域的清楚，但即使在美国最高法院在答案中进行了答案。
EPA and the Corps say the draft focuses on making clear how the definition applies to wetlands and to smaller waters that feed larger ones. EPA also released a draft report from its Science Advisory Board that found that streams, including small or intermittent ones, and wetlands have effects on downstream waters. EPA is seeking public comment on the study.
美国道路与运输建筑商协会环境与监管事务副总裁尼克·戈德斯坦（Nick Goldstein）谈到新草案时说：“当我们谈论真正定义美国水时，我们担心的是，这种方法正在进行要扫除一切，然后通过豁免向后工作。”
Dalal Aboulhosn, a senior Washington, D.C., representative of the Sierra Club, says, "We are pleased to see the administration taking active steps in ending this confusion and restoring vital protections to our nation's waters."
