EPA proposes limiting power of states and tribes to block major projects over water concerns

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 1:45 PM EST, January 13, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed limiting states’ and Native American tribes’ power to wield the Clean Water Act to block major projects like natural gas pipelines, advancing the Trump administration’s goal of accelerating the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure and data centers.

The agency said new constraints on local water quality reviews for federally regulated projects will still allow states to protect their environment while preventing unnecessary delays. Successive administrations have seesawed on the scope of states’ power. President Donald Trump’s first administration reduced it, the Biden administration restored it and now the Trump administration is once again adding constraints to what’s called Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

“When finalized, the proposed rule will increase transparency, efficiency and predictability for certifying authorities and the regulated community,” said Jess Kramer, EPA’s assistant administrator for water. “It will also ensure states and authorized tribes adhere to their Section 401 role.”

The Clean Water Act allows states and some authorized tribes to review what effect pipelines, dams and other federally regulated projects have on water quality within their borders. Pipelines, for example, might cross rivers, streams and wetlands — disruptions that states can scrutinize and that have caused holdups before. In 2017, for example, New York regulators rejected a permit for a pipeline, saying there weren’t sufficient protections for hundreds of streams and wetlands.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/water-trump-epa-section-401-data-centers-42716f21a37cadf624e2d7dee05fa3c3

[Solly Mack]

1. EPA needs a name change. Encouraging Pollution Agency. Anything we can pollute and profit from, we will.

[mahina]

8. The Billionaires Bullies Wishlist Administration

[Solly Mack]

9. Oh, yeah.

[Eugene]

2. another Project 2025 deliverable

eliminate environmental protection at federal, state and local levels as obstacles to prosperity

repurpose the EPA as a pro-resource extraction agency

[turbinetree]

3. Coming from fascist lackeys that need to drink water like everyone else does...........unless they have

different sources...........this planet is very limited when it comes to sources............may look like there is a lot with oceans rivers and lakes............you just can't fix stupid............... right Koch Brothers...............you think greed and your me attitude is the most important thing in life........

[ancianita]

4. There are increased boil water directives going on across all 50 states. Here's the 2024 Biden EPA report on that.

When a situation occurs during which the water is, or may likely become, contaminated with microbial pathogens (e.g.,
Giardia, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, and viruses), a PWS [public water system]may voluntarily issue a boil water advisory
(BWA) to better protect public health while the issues are being resolved. Contamination, or the potential for contamination, may be the result of several factors. These factors include
-- source water contamination,
-- lack of adequate treatment or
-- treatment failures and failures of, or damage to,
water system infrastructure.

BWAs may be needed for a single event or may be needed where identified contamination, or the potential for
contamination, and vulnerability persists and remediation, such as capital improvements, are
needed. A BWA is a voluntary protective public health measure that the water systems can take until
contamination, or the potential for contamination, is corrected. Understanding the prevalence and
causes of BWAs across the United States can provide critical information on the health and sustainability
of the PWS infrastructure.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, Section 50115, November 15, 2021)
requires the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on the
prevalence of boil water advisories issued in the United States.
The legislation requires that the Administrator submit a report to Congress describing the results of the study.
The report must include a description of the reasons for which the BWA was issued...

The second highest category of an issued BWA was for unknown or unidentified reasons...
More than 90 percent of public water systems serving less than 10,000
people use a groundwater source...

.
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2025-01/10586_boil-water-advisories_final_rtc_20240603_admin.pdf#:~:text=When%20a%20situation%20occurs%20during%20which%20water,before%20use.%20(i.e.%2C%20a%20“boil%20water%20advisory”).

[BumRushDaShow]

5. What will probably end up happening

is that it will be up to (blue) state environmental agencies to solely handle the problem because the EPA will become increasingly knee-capped and probably scrapped at some point (despite being a GOP/Nixon era creation).

[ancianita]

6. Agree. And the EPA's guidelines will be followed in blue states, scrapped or not.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Yup but

with stricter state regs as needed, because every state has its own unique geography, topography, and climate, that can trigger enhanced negative effects from any environmental disasters.

[ancianita]

10. Likely. But they're all ready to handle their own problems, because given the brain drain happening, it's still the

states that will have competent former EPA professionals, and smart governors who'll listen.