Trump finalizes the repeal of the clean water rule of the Obama era

The Trump administration announced Thursday the repeal of Obama's clean water regulations, which limited pollution and chemicals in the country's rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the reversal of US law at a Washington event at the National Association of Manufacturers' headquarters, a professional group that had called for its repeal and his replacement.

The EPA proposed to replace the 2015 water rule in December, following an order by President Donald Trump, who criticized the regulation of restricting farmers' rights, real estate developers and landowners.

The new rule limits the number of waterways the federal government can protect from pollution, including ditches, stormwater control facilities, and groundwater systems. It would also limit government oversight of large bodies of water. The repeal could take effect in a few weeks.

The rollback of clean water is the latest in a series of measures taken by the administration to dismantle the main environmental protections against pollutants, ranging from the reduction of the regulations to the emissions of methane and low-energy bulbs at the establishment of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Environmental groups have condemned the decision to relax water regulations, saying that loosening the restrictions would significantly undermine the country's sources of safe drinking water and natural habitats.

The Obama rule has been developed to limit pollution in about 60% of the country's water masses. It gave the federal government the power to monitor a wide range of lakes, streams and wetlands that connect to major waterways protected by the 1972 Water Quality Act.

"The clean water rule is a sound science and a smart public policy, where it has been applied, it has protected important waterways and wetlands, providing certainty to all stakeholders" said Jon Devine, director of federal water policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

"The Trump administration's ruthless attempts to reward polluters, however, have no limits, so it repeals these important protections regardless of law or science."

In contrast, farmer groups that represent an essential constituency for Trump support the repeal of regulations that they felt prevented them from using their property as they saw fit. Other groups favoring repeal include oil and gas producers and golf course owners.

"Today's final rule puts an end to a blatant coup, eliminates a patchwork of clean water regulations and restores an old and familiar regulatory framework, as we review public comments." on our proposed revised definition of US waters, "said Wheeler.

Under the reign of Obama, some farmers using land located near water plans were limited to several types of land use, including plowing and planting, and would require permits to EPA's share to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides that can flow into the water of their property.

"Millions of recently returned children could give government officials a basic lesson in science: wetlands and streams are connected to larger rivers. vitally important for the protection of water quality for all our communities, "said Bob Irvin, chair of the advocacy group. American rivers.

"The destruction we cause upstream affects our neighbors downstream."