A new EPA proposal would limit the agency’s ability to enforce clean water rules

The Trump administration on Monday announced a major new proposal that could significantly limit the federal government’s ability to enforce laws concerning pollution in waterways and wetlands.

The proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency pertains to the government’s definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), a term that’s been the subject of decades of legal fights between developers, environmentalists and property owners.

“There may not be an acronym that's more important than WOTUS, and what it means and how it's defined is quite important,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said announcing the new rule. “My goal, right from the onset, was to come up with a definition that no matter what would happen in November of ‘28 or November of 2032, that you're going to keep this defi