Attorney General Becerra Blasts Trump Administration’s Irrational Rule Repealing Critical Protections under the Clean Water Act

Under the rule, a large portion of California’s surface waters would be deprived of federal protection

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s announcement of a final rule redefining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act to limit the scope of the Act’s protections:

“This irrational, ill-conceived rule is yet another attempt by the Trump Administration to dismantle the critical environmental protections upon which we all rely,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Today’s announcement is an unlawful assault on the Clean Water Act and we’re prepared to take action. California is not interested in going back to the days when backroom deals and dirty water were the norm.”

In April, Attorney General Becerra filed a comment letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw a proposed rule that would significantly narrow Clean Water Act jurisdiction and exclude many of our nation’s waterways from the Act's purview. This change would eliminate federal protections for many of California’s wetlands, rivers, creeks, streams, and tributaries.