May 25, 2023

Ranking Members Larsen and Napolitano Issue Statements on Supreme Court WOTUS Decision

 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) released the following statements after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Today’s misguided ruling from the Supreme Court is a massive gift for polluters and a devastating setback for clean water in the United States,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “The idea that waters are only connected if they are contiguous on the surface flies in the face of everything we know about protecting our water and the communities who depend on it. This decision will have impacts for generations if Republicans in the House sit idly by and do nothing to limit the devastating consequences of this decision. Now is the time to double down and protect our nation’s water in the wake of this self-inflicted setback.”

“In wrongly siding with polluters, the Supreme Court is allowing them to get away with harming our nation’s rivers, lakes, and seas. This ruling will have a costly consequence of increasing water bills on residents and businesses as water agencies will now have to pay to clean up the mess caused by more pollution in our drinking water sources. This is particularly harmful in the Western United States where many of our residents get their water from streams that only flow following major storm events. House Republicans must act swiftly in working with us on legislation to restore the Clean Water Act to protect all Americans,” Ranking Member Napolitano said.

 

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