Speaking with industry experts, WasteDive Editor Jacob Wallace examines the impact of the US EPA’s plan to alter the language in WOTUS. In his article, “What a new ‘waters of the United States’ rule could mean for waste facilities,” he interviews experts from the solid waste industry, legal minds, and US EPA Administrator Zeldin. It’s still unclear exactly how the WOTUS definition will change following the rulemaking process, but new language tightening the rule could impact permits landfill developers need to build new cells, said Mike McLaughlin, at SCS Engineers. In particular, permits for dredging or filling rivers are sometimes needed but are also subject to Clean Water Act rules if they affect a water of the United States. The same is true for wetlands, which are sometimes impacted by landfill development.
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About Mike McLaughlin: Mike McLaughlin, PE, JD, is SCS Engineers’ Senior Vice President of Environmental Services and our National Expert on Brownfields & Landfill Redevelopment. He is a licensed engineer and attorney with over 40 years of professional experience providing advice on environmental matters. He is an expert on environmental compliance, remediation, and allocation of response costs. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar Environmental Law Section, and Budget Officer of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (ABA SEER).
Deregulation and Related Clean Water Act Resources:
