On June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Army and Army Corps of Engineers announced they are proposing to rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule and re-codify the regulatory text that existed prior to the “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, rule in 2015. The final rule, which was first issued in May 2015, dramatically expanded the scope of federal authority over water and land uses across the country.

"This is the first step in the two-step process to redefine 'waters of the U.S.,' and we are committed to moving through this re-evaluation to quickly provide regulatory certainty in a way that is thoughtful, transparent and collaborative with other agencies and the public," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in the news release.

The proposed rule resulted from President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on "Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism and Economic Growth by Reviewing the 'Waters of the United States' Rule," which states that the WOTUS final rule should be reviewed in order to protect American waterways from pollutants and do so in the most economic way.

Since Oct. 9, 2015, the 2015 WOTUS final rule has been under a nationwide stay by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Additional information about the WOTUS rulemaking can be found on EPA’s website.