Today the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case of Sackett v. EPA, a case that challenged long-established Clean Water Act protections for wetlands. The decision greatly limits such protections, drastically narrowing the ability of the Clean Water Act to restrict commercial development of sensitive areas. Wetlands are critical to protecting clean water, providing habitat, and controlling flooding. Today’s decision will leave tens of millions of acres of wetlands without protection across the country, and will likely also remove protections for small streams. 

In response, Food & Water Watch Legal Director Tarah Heinzen issued the following statement:

“We are outraged, though sadly not surprised, that this ultra-right-wing Supreme Court would choose to decimate long-standing common-sense protections for sensitive wetlands throughout the country. Wetlands play an integral role in protecting downstream waterways and reducing flooding – which will only worsen as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent. Today’s decision rejects this established science in favor of corporate developers’ profiteering.  

“The Biden administration and states must get creative and use every tool at their disposal to protect our rivers, streams and wetlands from this devastating decision.”