Joe Biden is taking steps to restore clean-water safeguards in the US after they were ended by ex-POTUS Donald Trump.
Per Associated Press, the Biden administration conducted a review that found that Trump's actions significantly reduced the availability of clean water in states like New Mexico and Arizona.
The agency said that at least 33 projects which would have previously required Clean Water permits can now go ahead without federal approval.
The Trump administration removed protections surrounding important sources of drinking water, including Lake Keowee in South Carolina, which provides water for over 400,000 people, per advocacy group Southern Environmental Law Center.
The EPA said in a statement that "Today's action reflects the agencies' intent to initiate a new rulemaking process that restores the protections in place prior to the 2015 WOTUS implementation, and anticipates developing a new rule to establish what waters are under federal jurisdiction.
"We are committed to establishing a durable definition of 'waters of the United States' based on Supreme Court precedent and drawing from current and previous regulations ... so we can better protect our nation’s waters, foster economic growth and support thriving communities."
The Army and EPA "will develop a rule that is informed by our technical expertise, is straightforward to implement by our agencies ... and is shaped by the lived experience of local communities," said Jaime Pinkham, acting assistant Army secretary for civil works.
Biden is pictured below on a tour of a water plant in New Orleans.
Biden's decision to reverse Trump's has been praised by environmental groups, the AP has reported.
Madeleine Foote, the deputy legislative director for the League of Conservation Voters, said: "Every day this harmful (Trump-era) rule is in effect, it endangers the waterways our communities depend on. That is unacceptable and must stop now."
North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, meanwhile, said it was "a shame the Biden administration wants to undo the good work of the Trump administration" in developing "a workable policy that falls within the confines of the law."
Cramer said that North Dakota is likely to challenge Biden on this issue "in the event of overreach."
Kevin Minoli, a former career lawyer at EPA, said the Biden administration is now casing the same problem as the previous two with regards to the longevity of the legislation.
"Now, the question becomes, 'Can they write a definition that will last beyond their time in office?'" he said.