"Environmentalists are already lining up to slam the Trump administration's definition of which waters are covered by the Clean Water Act, signaling a protracted battle over the proposal that's expected next week.

The proposed new definition of 'waters of the U.S.,' or WOTUS, will erase federal protections from streams that flow only following rainfall, as well as wetlands not physically connected to larger waterways, according to a copy of talking points obtained by E&E News.

'This is an unscientific approach,' Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Jon Devine said. 'Excluding ephemeral streams is the exact opposite of what the science would dictate.'"

Ariel Wittenberg reports for E&E News PM December 6, 2018. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"EPA To Scale Back WOTUS Definition — Document" (Greenwire) [3]