Repeal & Replace WOTUS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Efforts to repeal and replace the Waters of the US (WOTUS) rule are now complicated by a recent supreme court decision. In a 9-0 unanimous opinion on January 22, “the Supreme Court found that while it may not be the most efficient use of judicial resources, there was no question in the law about where challenges to the Clean Water Rule belong,” reads an article on the subject by E&E News.  The federal government, who argues that the rule should not be interpreted literally but figuratively, is seeing this as setback to their hopes of repealing and replacing the rule at a national level.

The article continues to explain that “The choice of court — district or appeals — is significant because it affects the resources needed to litigate the merits of challenges, sets the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits and helps determine whether actions can be challenged in subsequent civil or criminal proceedings. District courts are also more tilted toward overturning government actions.”

“Congress has made clear that rules like the WOTUS Rule must be reviewed first in federal district courts,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the opinion.

The REALTORS® Land Institute and National Association of REALTORS® support the review of the WOTUS rule as laid out by President Trump’s Executive Order last year to ensure that both private property rights and clean waterways are protected.

Read more on this topic here.