SCOTUS: Clean Water Act case

The remnants of the old levee, visible at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve in central Illinois, no longer holds back the Illinois River. What used to be corn field nearly two decades ago is now nearly 7,000 acres of restored wetlands. Doug Blodgett grew up across the river. Old-timers use to tell him about flocks of geese migrating through the floodplains. He wasn’t sure about the stories, until after restoration began in 2007. He looked up one day and saw “about 100,000 snow geese ... They all got up at once ... (and) the sun just disappeared.” Wetlands also serve water filters, and can reduce flooding by 0giving water a place to collect and soak in. Blodgett, an advisor at the conservancy, has been given hope that more wetlands are out just waiting to be restored.

But an ongoing U.S. Supreme Court case, Sackett v. EPA, could roll back the government’s authority to regulate wetlands and possibly cut protections. SCOTUS heard oral arguments in October. The 14-year-long legal battle was launched from the ba0ckyard of an Idaho couple that wanted to fill their lake with gravel. EPA stopped them. The aim of the case is a challenge to the Clean Water Act that provides some waters/wetlands fall under “Waters of the United States.” Should the court rule in favor of the Sacketts it would be left up to each state. A Tulane University study found 24 states rely on the Clean Water Act to regulate wetlands. SCOTUS is expected to render a decision early this year. (Harvest Public Media 02/03/23) Supreme Court ruling could trim Miss. basin wetlands defense | Environment | nola.com