The US Supreme Court gave environmentalists a partial win on the scope of the Clean Water Act, ruling that the law applies to some pollution discharges that don’t go directly into a major body of water.
The 6-3 decision Thursday told a federal appeals court to reconsider its conclusion that a Hawaii water-treatment facility violated the law with wastewater discharges that travel underground a half mile to the Pacific Ocean. But the high court majority set a standard that will give environmental advocates another chance to win the case, as well as other suits claiming illegal water pollution. The ruling could affect mines, coal-fired power plants and large-scale animal feeding operations as they seek to limit federal regulatory scrutiny and avoid environmental suits. The majority rejected calls from business groups and President Donald Trump’s administration to significantly scale back the water law.