Editorial: Wetlands decision is surprising, welcome

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 9:08 a.m.

On Tuesday the Environmental Protection Agency decided to forgo new regulatory policies that would have significantly reduced the amount of wetlands and streams under the federal government's protection. Under consideration was a proposal that would have limited the breadth of the Clean Water Act, a scenario that critics said would have meant that millions of acres of wetlands now under protection could have been filled in by developers. There was a significant amount of pressure brought to bear on the Bush administration by builders who wanted to develop some of these wetlands that currently are off-limits to them.

Environmentalists were pleased by the announcement, one of the first major decisions by the new EPA administrator, Mike Leavitt. "I have to admit this was a real positive development and a win for wetlands and wildlife," Julie Sibbing of the National Wildlife Federation told The Washington Post. Some environmentalists weren't fully convinced, however, noting that while the rule has been abandoned, a written directive that could free up millions of acres of wetlands for development still hasn't been rescinded yet.

Nevertheless, the decision by Leavitt was a welcome one. Indeed, Leavitt had run into a considerable amount of controversy as governor of Utah when he tried unsuccessfully to build a highway through some wetlands near Salt Lake City as a means to ease traffic congestion. Leavitt, through this week's decision, has shown a promising start that we hope continues on other matters involving the environment, an area that the Bush White House hasn't shown much regard for during its first three years in office.