INSIDE COMPLIANCE

A second Trump administration is sure to challenge a variety of clean water and drinking water regulations, as evidenced by various policies proposed by the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. President-elect Donald Trump has distanced himself politically from the project but it remains relevant as he continues to surround himself with many of its authors. Many water lawyers and environmental advocates thus expect a second Trump administration to continue the federal water deregulation efforts seen in his first administration. Specifically, President-elect Trump will likely challenge and potentially repeal both the Biden Administration’s “waters of the US” (WOTUS) rule and its Section 401 state certification rule. These moves are likely to be compounded by other ecological regulation rollbacks and further exacerbate an already worsening climate crisis in the United States.