U.S. appeals court re-establishes Trump-era water rule, energy industry celebrates
(UI) — On Tuesday, a U.S. appeals court said a lower court lacked authority to remove a rule established by former President Donald Trump that limited state’s power to deny permits allowing entities to release pollution into waterways, according to Reuters.
San Francisco Judge William Alsup originally vacated the rule in 2021 once the Biden administration came into effect. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that a California judge couldn’t kill the rile because he didn’t consider whether the law was unlawful first.
The Trump-era rule reinterprets part of the Clean Water Act that allows states and Native American tribes authority to deny approvals for interstate pipelines and other projects that pollute waterways in their areas. The new rule keeps states from blocking such projects unless they can prove the projects will directly pollute their waterways.
Democrats and environmental activists protested the Trump rule while Republicans and pro oil and gas entities supported the legislation, which would speed up energy projects nationwide.
For example, the American Petroleum Institute said they're pleased with the court's decision, and that having a "clear and consistent permitting process in place ensures that needed infrastructure can be built."
This story was originally reported by Reuters.
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