Defense Department, Engineers Corps, Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army ("the agencies") are publishing for public comment a proposed rule revising the regulations defining the scope of waters federally covered under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, also known as the Clean Water Act, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. With this proposed rule, the agencies intend to provide greater regulatory certainty and increase Clean Water Act program predictability and consistency by clarifying the definition of "waters of the United States." This proposed rule is also intended to implement the overall objective of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the quality of the Nation's waters while respecting State and Tribal authority over their own land and water resources.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Defense Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers 33 CFR Part 328 Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 120 [EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322; FRL 11132.1-01-OW] RIN 2040-AG44 ( printed page 52498) AGENCY: Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense; and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (“the agencies”) are publishing for public comment a proposed rule revising the regulations defining the scope of waters federally covered under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, also known as the Clean Water Act, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. With this proposed rule, the agencies intend to provide greater regulatory certainty and increase Clean Water Act program predictability and consistency by clarifying the definition of “waters of the United States.” This proposed rule is also intended to implement the overall objective of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the quality of the Nation's waters while respecting State and Tribal authority over their own land and water resources. DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 5, 2026. ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322, by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/​ (our pref…
Citation: 90 FR 52498