"Pruitt Takes Clean Water Act Decisions Away from Regional EPA Offices"

"The changes outlined in a leaked memo reduce the regional offices’ leverage over projects like pipelines and mining that could damage streams and wetlands."

"Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who has been methodically weakening air pollution rules over the past year, is now taking control of key decision-making on the protection of streams and wetlands from the agency's regional administrators, an internal memo shows.

At issue is something known as "geographic jurisdiction," agency speak for which bodies of water do, or do not, fall under the Clean Water Act. Historically all waters, including major waterways, tributaries and wetlands were regulated under the Act. This broad jurisdiction was reaffirmed by the Waters of the U.S. rule in 2015.

In the memo, Pruitt notified EPA staff that he would now be in charge of such decision-making."

Phil McKenna reports for InsideClimate News April 4, 2018.