United States: States, NRDC, And NWF Sue EPA And Corps On Applicability Date Final Rule

Seyfarth Synopsis: Continuing the fight over the Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., the National Wildlife Federation, and a host of states, including New York and California have brought lawsuits against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in response to their final rule to delay the applicability date for the WOTUS Rule. States of New York et al. v. USEPA and Corps (State Litigation), No. 18-cv-1030 (S.D. NY February 6, 2018), and NRDC v USEPA and Corps (Association Litigation), No 18-cv-1048 (S.D. NY February 6, 2018).

As we noted in previous blogs, the WOTUS rulemaking has been fraught with controversy and has generated well over 1-million public comments. In the most recent chapter of this ongoing saga, the Agencies adopted an applicability rule to extend the applicability date of the 2015 WOTUS Rule to February 6, 2020. USEPA claimed that the extension "provides clarity and certainty about which definition of "waters of the United States" is applicable nationwide in response to judicial actions that could result in confusion." The Plaintiffs refer to this extension as "the Suspension Rule."

The State Litigation seeks "a declaration that the Suspension Rule is unlawful and an order vacating it" as well as a declaration that the Agencies' action was arbitrary and capricious. The States argue, among other things, that the Clean Water Act does not give the Agencies authority to suspend a Rule when it has already become effective.

The Association Litigation seeks a ruling that "the suspension of the Clean Water Rule for two years is...'arbitrary,' 'capricious,' an 'abuse of discretion,' and 'not in accordance with law' under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A)." Additionally, the Associations seek a ruling that "the suspension of the Clean Water Rule for two years was...promulgated in violation of the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and was 'without observance of procedure required by law' and 'contrary to constitutional right' in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(B), (D)."

We will keep you up to date as to the progression of the litigation and any important briefing or rulings that come out of it.

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