Overview
- Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled the draft definition with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, developed alongside Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle.
- The proposal defines key terms such as “relatively permanent,” “continuous surface connection,” and “tributary,” requiring tributaries to provide consistent flow to traditional navigable waters.
- Wetlands would qualify for federal jurisdiction only when they are indistinguishable from covered waters and retain surface water for a consistent period each year.
- Specific exclusions are preserved and clarified for groundwater, stormwater runoff, ditches, previously converted cropland, and waste treatment systems.
- A 45-day public comment period begins with two hybrid public meetings, as the EPA touts regulatory clarity and critics warn of lost protections and increased pollution.