EPA eliminates wetlands protections

Headshot of Ciaran Harman EPA eliminates protections for U.S. wetlands, a major setback for water quality As much as half of the nation's wetlands were recently removed from federal regulations that protected them from pollution, Johns Hopkins expert Ciaran Harman says. Ciaran Harman is an associate professor of landscape hydrology and the Russell Croft Faculty Scholar for the Johns Hopkins Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. His research focuses on how the structure of landscapes controls the movement of water from rainfall to streams, and how that structure evolves over time. What do we need to know?. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) protects our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans from pollution. One way it does this is by requiring anyone who wants to discharge something into the "waters of the United States" to apply for a permit. State and federal agencies review these applications and will reject one if the discharge will harm the environment or public health.