The Supreme Court grappled Wednesday with questions about the scope of the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate pollutants that find their way into navigable water such as oceans, rivers and streams.
The case centers on a once-pristine reef in Maui, Hawaii, that environmental groups say has been devastated by pollutants from a wastewater reclamation facility. But it could have broad implications on navigable waters across the United States and significantly limit the reach of the Clean Water Act.