Regulation of Water Quality: Is EPA Meeting Its Obligations or Can the States Better Meet Water Quality Challenges?

January 1992

Citation:

ELR 10029

Issue

Author

James R. Elder, B.J. Wynne, David Evans, and Victor M. Sher

JAMES R. ELDER: I am going to discuss what I want to describe as EPA's tightrope walk between the need for national consistency and state flexibility in implementation. I will discuss the obligations and roles of both EPA and the states.

The states need to be at the front line to take the lead on implementation, but what is the extent of this lead? What is the meaning of delegation? And what degree of responsibility is EPA left to retain?

James R. Elder, Director, Office of Water Enforcement & Permits, U.S. EPA. B.J. Wynne, III, Chair, Texas Water Commission. David Evans, Partner, McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe. Victor M. Sher, Managing Attorney, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund.

Article File

22.10029.htm