The US Supreme Court has significantly weakened the Clean Water Act (CWA) with a 5-4 ruling, stating that the EPA cannot enforce broad, water body-focused discharge limits. This decision effectively favors specific pollution discharge limits, particularly impacting the rules surrounding sewage discharge into water supplies. The ruling emerged from a challenge by San Francisco against the EPA’s narrative permits, which the city argued were beyond the agency's statutory authority. The court asserted that the EPA has necessary tools to monitor pollution without employing broad effectiveness measures, which has stirred controversy regarding future environmental protections.
The Supreme Court's ruling allows for weakened controls on sewage discharge, significantly undermining the Clean Water Act’s protections against water pollution.
The court's decision restricts the EPA's authority to enforce broad pollution controls, indicating a shift in judicial support for environmental regulations over time.
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