AG​ Bonta co-led a multistate coalition of 18 attorneys general in sending a comment letter opposing a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed rule. The rule would rewrite water quality certification regulations to unlawfully curtail state authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposed rule limits the authority of California, other states, and Native American Tribes to review requests for Section 401 water quality certification and their ability to impose conditions on federal projects that may impact state waters. In the letter, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition assert that the Trump Administration’s attempt to diminish the states’ role under Section 401 will illegally disrupt the congressionally-mandated careful power balance between the federal government and the states, remove significant state water protections, and degrade water quality in California and nationwide.  

“The Trump Administration shows its fluency in the language of lawlessness with its continued illegal proposals to deprive our ecosystems and communities of vital protections. This proposed rule is another attack on our environment and would result in a significant backslide in water quality, water protections, and state authority over federal projects that may degrade our waterways." – AG Bonta