US supreme court weakens rules on discharge of raw sewage into water supplies

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Tue 4 Mar 2025 11.22 EST
Last modified on Tue 4 Mar 2025 11.32 EST


The US supreme court has weakened rules on the discharge of raw sewage into water supplies in a 5-4 ruling that undermines the 1972 Clean Water Act. The CWA is the principle law governing pollution control and water quality of the nation’s waterways.

The Republican super majority court ruled on Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot employ generic, water body-focused pollution discharge limits to Clean Water Act permit holders, and must provide specific limitations to pollution permittees.

The ruling is a win for San Francisco, which challenged nonspecific, or “narrative,” wastewater permits that the EPA issues to protect the quality of surface water sources like rivers and streams relied upon for drinking water. In a 5-4 ruling written by Justice Samuel Alito, the court blocked the EPA from issuing permits that make a permittee responsible for surface water quality, or “end result” permits – a new term coined by the court.

“The agency has adequate tools to obtain needed information from permittees without resorting to end-result requirements,” wrote Justice Samuel Alito, who was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, along with Justice Neil Gorsuch, who joined part of the majority opinion.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/epa-ruling-sewage-water

[Irish_Dem]

1. They want to kill us.

[Javaman]

8. I said in another post that the point isn't cruelty

They want to kill us to “decrease the surplus population”

[Irish_Dem]

9. Kill the useless eaters. The weak, sick, old.

Only the strong will survive.

Some of the GOP are quite sadistic.
They enjoy the cruelty.

[C_U_L8R]

2. SCOTUS sez 'eat shit'

Apparently they developed a taste for it with all their ass kissing.

[Basso8vb]

3. Kangaroo Kourt keeps just making shit up.

[FalloutShelter]

4. More enshitification from the SCOTUS experts.

Pun intended.

[IronLionZion]

5. America is becoming great again

[Solly Mack]

6. Cholera me Vibrio cholerae.

[bronxiteforever]

7. The federalist society supports

fresh water for the rich and shit for everyone else.

[bluestarone]

10. Jeepers, they ARE still around.

I thought they all over at thomas's house partying.

[AmericaUnderSiege]

11. They're literally commanding Americans to eat shit.

Good thing they surrendered all authority this summer when they ruled the Constitution was unconstitutional in those series of coup rulings from Project 2025. Any lower-court judge who treats this as lawful precedent is a joke. Just ignore it and proceed.

[Lulu KC]

12. Argh

Um, we're kind of drinking, "...end-result requirements," you guys. Alito, Roberts, Thomas, Kavanaugh, and Gorsuch only drink purified water, I guess.

[slightlv]

22. Purified water m.. endless supplies..

Are just part of their gratuities.

[GJGCA]

13. What the what, SF?

FTA: The ruling is a win for San Francisco

What were they thinking in San Francisco?!?

[SunSeeker]

20. Money.

Keeping the water clean costs money. SF ain't what it used to be. Their sales taxes are down as businesses leave overpriced and low foot traffic downtown SF. The city is hurting for money.

Of course, dirty water costs even more money in the future. But that's a can they can kick down the road, and let it be someone else's problem later.

[ananda]

14. Geezus, every day there's a new fresh hell coming from that group.

Sheesh

[Deminpenn]

15. 5 men for, 4 women against

Interesting. And not for the first time.

[SunSeeker]

16. Disaster for water quality.

[JoseBalow]

17. I've always felt there wasn't enough shit in my water

Thanks, sc(r)otus!

[EarthFirst]

18. How about front lawns?

I know a few MAGA’s in town I’d love to drop one on…

[Paladin]

19. Anybody happy about this---other than RFK jr.? (nt)

[SunSeeker]

21. Years ago, his Waterkeeper group would have been in court on the EPA's side.

But that was before the brain worm got to him.

[moniss]

23. In other words Alito is saying that using an end measurement to

tell whether someone is in violation is forbidden. Of course if you can't measure a result and use it you will never have anything or any ability to enforce anything. Like saying your kid can't stay up past 11:00 p.m. but you're not allowed to use the time of night to tell whether they're complying.