Months after he issued a ruling that put the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the U.S. Rule on hold, the same North Dakota federal judge ruled this week against a challenge made by the EPA.
U.S. District Judge Ralph E. Erickson ruled Tuesday against the claims of the EPA to dismiss the challenges to WOTUS made by North Dakota and 12 other states that claimed it was unlawful overreach by the federal agency. North Dakota led a coalition of states making the challenge of the Clean water Rule.
Now the case is on hold pending the outcome of a legal challenge making its way through the Sixth Circuit court of Appeals. The EPA had urged the judge to throw the case out of court