Oregon, other AGs sue Trump administration over water rule

NEW YORK (AP) – Eleven Democratic state attorneys general have sued President Donald Trump’s administration for holding off a government rule aimed at reducing pollution in the nation’s waterways.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says last week’s suspension of the 2015 Clean Water Rule by the Republican administration is an assault on public health, including drinking water sources. The federal Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan by Schneiderman and his counterparts in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. It seeks to stop the government from delaying implementation of the rule.

The Obama-era rule expanded the definitions for wetlands and small waterways under the Clean Water Act. Agribusiness, mining and industry groups opposed it.