Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is part of a coalition of 18 state attorneys general, led by Washington, who have filed a motion to intervene. The motion seeks to uphold states’ rights in protecting water quality.
A group of 18 attorneys general, along with the California Water Resources Control Board, is actively defending a revised Clean Water Act rule from 2023.
The 2023 revised rule has been hailed as a restoration of states’ authority over water quality. This rule aims to rectify the changes made to the Clean Water Act language under Section 401 in the 2020 version, which had the intention of limiting states’ authority.
In a news release on Friday, Attorney General Nessel emphasized the crucial responsibility and interest of the State in safeguarding Michigan’s water.
“I am proud to stand with my colleagues in defending the federal government’s recognition of the importance of states’ rights and protecting them from any legal challenges,” Nessel stated.
A coalition of 11 states and energy trade associations, including the American Petroleum Institute, is currently challenging the 2023 rule in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
