Earth Justice

(from Earthjustice email)

In a stunning victory, the nation’s highest court has sided with Earthjustice and our clients and rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to blow a hole in the Clean Water Act. Earthjustice has worked on this case for years, starting in Maui where a wastewater treatment plant was causing coral reef damage, and continuing to battle as corporate polluters joined the opposition.The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today inCounty of Maui v. Hawai‘i Wildlife Fundsolidifies the Clean Water Act’s importance as one of the nation’s most effective environmental laws.This decision is a huge victory for clean water.The Court flatly rejected the Trump administration’s polluter-friendly approach to the Clean Water Act and its request to exempt wastewater discharges that flow indirectly to rivers, lakes, and oceans. Instead, the Court stated “We do not see how Congress could have intended to create such a large and obvious loophole in one of the key regulatory innovations of the Clean Water Act.” Having just read the opinion, I think it’s the best win we could get in this Court.We will be absorbing and sending more analysis of the Court’s decision, but I wanted to share the good news right away. It’s thanks to your support that we are able to take cases like this all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and win. These victories keep our laws strong and protect our clean air, clean water, public lands, endangered wildlife, and the health of our communities.