The Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit this week against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that the recent 2020 Waters of the United States Rule significantly diminishes the number and extent of Navajo waters protected by the Clean Water Act.
The suit says the the recent rule is in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and could adversely impact the amount of federal funding the Navajo EPA receives for its water programs.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and his administration are proposing to use $300 million from the CARES Act funding the tribe received for water infrastructure and agriculture projects, which will require clean water for development and construction.
