Other LanguagesSEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson, along with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and New York Attorney General Letitia James, led a coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia in filing a comment letter opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule which would unlawfully curtail state authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
The letter is available here.
“The Trump Administration’s proposed rule would usurp state and tribal authority to regulate our waters, in violation of the law," Ferguson said. "This stunning federal power grab ignores binding Supreme Court precedent, the plain language of the Clean Water Act, and the fact that Washington and other states have successfully implemented clean water programs for half a century. Once again, the Administration has proven that it is willing to place corporate special interests above environmental protection. This time, the Administration is also trying to strip away state and tribal rights to protect waters that the federal government itself refuses to protect. Environmental issues are part of more than half of my office’s 50 cases against the Trump Administration, and more than half of our 24 wins. We haven’t lost a case yet. If the EPA finalizes this unlawful proposal, we’ll have no choice but to explore all legal options to defend Washington’s authority to protect our natural resources.”
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contacts:
Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov