Thursday August 10, 2023
FarmProgress —
The Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling for the plaintiffs in the Sackett vs. EPA case might seem to be the final word in the lengthy and, oftentimes, politically charged debate over what’s included in the term “Waters of the United States.”
While farmers and landowners may have hoped the Court’s May 25 decision would bring an end to the uncertainty over what is included in the definition of navigable waters, those expectations may prove to be a bit rosy.
“I think there is some hope the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett would be the nail in the coffin and give us our final definition of Waters of the United States,” said Brigit Rollins, staff attorney with the National Agricultural Law Center, “but I think that’s a little bit of an optimistic hope.