EPA Doubles Down on Vague Water Pollution Limits at High Court

Congress authorized the EPA to use pollution limitations of “whatever kind” to force cities to keep waterways clean, the agency argued in a brief filed Monday in San Francisco’s US Supreme Court challenge to vague federal effluent discharge rules.

The agency doubled down on its claim that vague pollution limits are both necessary and fully authorized under the Clean Water Act to keep cities and property owners with water pollution discharge permits from contaminating waterways more than they’re allowed to.

San Francisco claims that its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits for discharges into the Pacific Ocean don’t tell ...