Supreme Court rules against EPA in dispute over regulating wetlands

[Novara]

27. instead of speculating about what a wetland is, here's the EPA's definition

https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/how-wetlands-are-defined-and-identified-under-cwa-section-404#:~:text=Section%20404%20of%20the%20Clean%20Water%20Act

The EPA and the Corps use the 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual and Regional Supplements to define wetlands for the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit program. Section 404 requires a permit from the Corps or authorized state for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the waters of the United States, including wetlands.

The 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual and Regional Supplements organizes characteristics of a potential wetland into three categories: soils, vegetation and hydrology. The manual and supplements contain criteria for each category. With this approach, an area that meets all three criteria is considered a wetland.

And here is the USACE wetlands Delineation Manual: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/reg_supp/

I'm an environmental scientist and it's too much information for me to wade through this minute, but it's clear that it is also too much information for the SCOTUS to rule on in the way that they did. In other words, they chose the political route, not the scientific route.

I know you are surprised they took the political route.