This is a big one. Miami Waterkeeper and the greater Waterkeeper Alliance are watching with great concern as the Supreme Court Case, Sackett vs. EPA, reaches its conclusion. The case concerns how the geographic extent of the Clean Water Act is interpreted and what lands fall within the Environmental Protection Agency’s wetland regulatory jurisdiction. We can’t stress how signficant this case is.
Chantal and Michael Sackett dumped fill on their Idaho property without securing the necessary environmental permits. They thought the wetlands on their lot were “out of bounds” from agency regulation. Surprised were they when the EPA slapped the couple with a violation for the unauthorized filling of wetlands. In 2008, they sued the EPA and took the dispute through a 14-year journey through the federal court system.
If the Sacketts prevail, the decision will have far-reaching consequences over “which” wetlands are regulated in all of the United States; this could mean that many thousands of acres of wetlands could lose federal protection. Since South Florida IS a big wetland, we at Miami Waterkeeper are watching this court case closely!
The Waterkeeper Movement contends that wetlands deserve the utmost protection. After all, these habitats are known as the “kidneys of the landscape” due to their ability to store and cleanse water.
Miami Waterkeeper supported the Waterkeeper Aliance’s amicus brief to the Supreme Court on this case. The Alliance’s press release and copy of the brief are here. Oral arguments will be heard by the Supreme Court on October 3rd, 2022 with a decision likely in early 2023. For further reading, our Friends at the National Resources Defense Council have written an in-depth article on the Sackett case that we’re pleased to share.
Please stay tuned for more updates on this important case.
Originally published at https://www.miamiwaterkeeper.org/sackett_vs_epa