Topix Underground

"...On Tuesday, the Supreme Court substantially weakened federal limitations on raw sewage discharge into nearby bodies of water. Its 5–4 decision will, in practice, free cities to dump substantially more sewage into rivers, lakes, oceans, and bays, degrading water quality standards around the country.

The majority achieved the goal by rewriting a key provision of the Clean Water Act that has, for decades, protected Americans against dangerous pollution. With that guardrail gutted, the majority effectively greenlit the mass release of human waste into the nation’s water supply. As Justice Amy Coney Barrett explained in dissent, the court “offers nothing to substantiate” its “puzzling” conclusion—nothing, that is, besides evident sympathy for polluters and callous apathy toward those who will suffer from its decision..."