ELR Citation: 52 ELR 20005
No(s). C20-1362 MJP (W.D. Wash. Dec 29, 2021) (Pechman, J.)

A district court vacated EPA's denial of an environmental group's petition to issue new and revised water quality standards for the state of Washington. The group argued that EPA acted arbitrarily and capriciously in denying its petition, and sought to have the denial vacated and the petition remanded to the Agency "to make a new decision." The court found that EPA's denial of the petition and refusal to make a necessity determination on Washington's outdated aquatic life standards was arbitrary, capricious, and not grounded in the CWA. It vacated the denial and remanded the petition to the Agency to make a necessity determination within 180 days.