By Rebecca Beitsch - 02/08/21 12:18 PM EST
A coalition of environmental groups warned the Biden administration Monday it would sue if the Army Corps of Engineers fails to reconsider Trump-era permits for industry activity they fear will pollute waterways.
The notice of intent to sue from the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council and others targets 16 so-called nationwide permits that allow discharges from oil and gas development, pipeline and transmission-line construction, and coal mining into waterways.
“The Trump administration flagrantly violated bedrock environmental laws when it reissued the Nationwide Permits, without regard for the people, places or wildlife that are affected by this deeply flawed program,” Jared Margolis, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a release.