"The Trump administration today finalized its controversial definition of what marshes, wetlands and streams quality for protections under the Clean Water Act.

But don't expect regulatory certainty anytime soon.

EPA published its Navigable Waters Protection Rule in the Federal Register this morning, nearly four months after the administration unveiled the rule.

Publication starts a 60-day clock before the rule goes into effect and waves a green flag for an onslaught of lawsuits likely to be filed around the country. The litigation will undoubtedly run beyond Election Day, so the future of the rule likely depends on whether Trump wins a second term.

Environmentalists and several left-leaning states have signaled they are ready to sue, saying the rule — which cuts protections for most of the country's wetlands — is far too narrow."

Jeremy P. Jacobs and Pamela King report for Greenwire April 21, 2020. [2]