EPA Narrows Stance on Groundwater Ahead of SCOTUS Action (1)

The EPA is changing its interpretation of a landmark federal pollution law to clarify that the law doesn’t allow it to regulate most sources of groundwater.

The Clean Water Act only applies to lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water on the surface, not groundwater, according to the agency’s new statement clarifying its reading of the federal statute. This is the case even if pollution is discharged into groundwater and then migrates into a surface water.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s reinterpretation of this statute was issued April 12 and signed by David Ross, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of ...