By Joel Beauvais and Claudia O’Brien

President Donald Trump, on February 28, signed an executive order (EO) directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) to issue a proposed rulemaking for notice and comment to rescind or revise their joint 2015 Clean Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the United States or “WOTUS” rule. The rule was intended to clarify the jurisdictional scope of the Clean Water Act. Shortly after the EO was issued, the EPA and the Corps issued a notice indicating their intent to review and either rescind or revise the rule.

The EO and the agencies’ notice signal a potential move to substantially narrow the jurisdictional scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This is a critical issue for many sectors of the economy and environmental protection and has been the subject of uncertainty and litigation since the statute was enacted in 1972 — with the U.S. Supreme Court having issued three major decisions on the subject.