Judge Halts Trump Rule Suspending Clean Water Protections

In a move that affects half the country, a Charleston, SC, judge ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration did not properly seek public input when it suspended protections designed to thwart waterway pollution.

U.S. District Judge David Norton issued the judgment in favor of nine environmental groups, allowing restrictions on development around certain waterways. The regulations are aimed at reducing stormwater runoff that is considered a threat to water quality in South Carolina and contributes to high fecal bacteria counts in Charleston-area waters.

The ruling is likely to be appealed, and it does not apply in 24 other states where legal actions are still pending. 

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