Waterway Advocates is proud to advocate in the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) for clean water protections alongside our friends at dozens of organizations throughout the country. Earlier today, Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) filed a "friend of the court" brief, on behalf of Waterway Advocates and 114 other non-profits, to keep federal protections intact under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
This October, the highest court in the land will hear arguments for the landmark case of Sackett v. EPA (Docket No. 21-454). In this case, opponents of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are pushing for the Supreme Court to gut the Clean Water Act by excluding vulnerable streams and wetlands in the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). This would have extreme consequences for our communities and lead to the destruction of critical habitats that impact our drinking water.
What may sound like a petty dispute over legal jargon could actually be detrimental to our communities. Wetlands and other bodies of water within the United States (hmm… sounds a lot like those all should be included in a dictionary definition of “Waters of the United States”) would be at risk of environmental destruction by industrial practices and increased pollution. This could have devastating impacts on South Florida’s wetland and waterway ecosystems that are so closely tied to our economy and vibrant society.
*Please note that Waterway Advocates is glad to provide a statement; however, please direct all matters involving litigation and case questions to → Primary
Kathleen Sullivan, Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC)
Senior Communications Manager (NC)
Phone: 919-967-1450
Email: ksullivan@selcnc.org
Margie Kelly, Natural Resources Defense Council
Phone: 541-222-9699
Email: mkelly@nrdc.org
Caleb Merendino, Waterway Advocates
Phone: 954-667-7710
Email: caleb@waterwayadvocates.org