Court case open since 2007 seeks closure.
The Supreme Court agreed to look at an appeal submitted by Michael and Chantell Sackett regarding the denial by the Environmental Protection Agency of their construction permit in 2007 in order to preserve a nearby wetland. The 2006 case Rapanos v. United States had brought both clarity and confusion to America’s courts. In that prior case, the Supreme Court agreed on the importance of the Clean Water Act. However, Justices Kennedy and Scalia provided two very different legal definitions of protected wetlands that courts have been forced to choose between ever since.
“Fifteen years of fruitless confusion, conflict, and litigation is enough,” the Sacketts’ appeal argued. “This court can and should chart a better course for the Clean Water Act by articulating a clear, easily administered, constitutionally sound rule for wetlands jurisdiction, using the surface-water-connection test set forth in the Rapanos plurality opinion.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Supreme Court as they endeavor to provide clear interpretation of the Clean Water Act.
- For officials in the Environmental Protection Agency to seek God’s guidance as they care for the environment.
- For members of Congress as they consider related to climate and the environment.
Sources: Reuters, The Hill
