Wyoming will join 22 other states who support the loosening of stream protections under the Clean Water Act, according to this report in the Gillette News Record.
Wyoming joins Georgia, Texas, Utah and Kansas, among others, who have said they support the new rule, which removes from protection thousands of miles of intermittent and ephemeral streams common in Western states.
The coalition plans to intervene in a federal case led by California and New York to stop the new Waters of the U.S. rule , or WOTUS, as it is known, from taking effect. Colorado also said it will sue to stop the new rule.
“It is vital that Wyoming stand up for its right to be the prime caretaker and regulator of waters that are strictly within our state,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said in a statement. “We know how to protect our waters far better than the federal government. Wyoming is home to countless sources of water that never reach a navigable waterway, many of which would come under federal control should WOTUS be reinstated.”
Print