13 States File WOTUS Injunction

Randall Weiseman General, Water

A coalition of 13 states have asked a federal judge to block the controversial Waters of the U.S. rule slated to take effect later this month. Led by North Dakota, the attorney generals for eight of the 13 states filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court for District of North Dakota, according to a report by Natural Gas Intel. The states argue that the rule will harm the states sovereign interests and their state budgets during the pendency of this litigation. The states included in the request are North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming. The group wants a nine month implementation delay in order to give the court enough time to review the legal challenges to the rule. The rule is slated to become law August 28.