A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked a federal rule intended to protect thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways.
The ruling halts implementation of the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers in the 24 states with Republican attorneys general who brought the court challenge, a group that includes Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota.
The regulations were finalized in December and repeal a Trump administration rule thrown out by federal courts.
They define which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act, but opponents say they’re an example of federal overreach and unfairly burden farmers and ranchers.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers calls the ruling a “victory (that) honors the principle that Washington bureaucrats cannot exceed the limits set by Congress on their regulatory authority.