News Briefs: Proposed Clean Water Act Changes Could Fast-Track Gas Pipelines

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed regulatory changes aimed at streamlining the approval process under the Clean Water Act’s Section 401, which some states have used to delay or block unwanted natural gas pipelines. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler made the announcement at the Council of Manufacturing Associations Summer Leadership Conference. “Under President Trump, the United States has become the number one oil and gas energy producer in the world, while at the same time continuing to improve our air quality,” says EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. Meanwhile, environmental advocates argue the proposed change would weaken the ability of states