A new proposed rule by the Trump administration could remove federal protections from over 200 miles of wetlands and streams in Maine.

Maine Public reports that the new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency would redefine the definition of US waterways to “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water”.

In turn, this would strip away federal protections from seasonal and intermittent wetlands under the Clean Water Act, potentially opening the door for pollution in these areas or loss of these areas altogether.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says that previous Democratic administrations “weaponized” the protections to seize power from farmers, landowners, entrepreneurs and families.

The agency “is delivering on President Trump’s promise to finalize a revised definition for WOTUS (Water of the United States) that protects the nation’s navigable waters from pollution, advances cooperative federalism by empowering states, and will result in economic growth across the country,” Zeldin said.

While the federal protections would potentially be stripped, Maine’s Natural Resources Protection Act would continue to give state agencies jurisdiction over the waterways.

However, Anya Fetcher, federal policy advocate with the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said there have been efforts in the past to dilute those safeguards and they could be rolled back in the future.

“Without the safety net of the federal protections that is where we would see more risk of pollution or loss of these streams and wetland areas,” Fetcher said.

To read the original Maine Public article, click here.