"Months after the Supreme Court stripped federal protections for over half the nation’s wetlands, scientists and legal experts are raising new concerns about how the ruling could affect permits for pollutants in rivers and streams.

In a major shift in federal regulations for water, the high court ruled last year that only wetlands with a continuous, visible connection to a “relatively permanent” body of water are protected by the Clean Water Act.

While the Sackett v. EPA ruling cleared the way for developers and property owners to drain millions of acres of wetlands without a permit, it could have a secondary effect on how states regulate nutrients and toxic chemicals, including PFAS, that spill into waterways."

Miranda Willson reports for E&E News January 19, 2024. [2]