What exactly is a wetland? The United States Supreme Court recently weighed in on that question, sharply limiting where federal and state regulators have influence.
Faith Harris at Virginia Interfaith Power and Light says she's concerned about the ruling. "Wetlands are really critically important to the ecosystem," Harris notes. "There are animals and plant life and foliage that actually depend on these wetlands. So, if they are not regulated we would have environmental degradation."
The court ruled that wetlands can only be regulated if they have a "continuous surface connection" to a larger regulated body of water.
Jon Mueller at Chesapeake Bay Foundation says that excludes waterways that continue to serve an important function. "They absorb runoff and rainwater and are able to actually process a lot of what we would consider pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus before they are able to reach these more navigable bodies of water like the Chesapeake Bay or the James River."
The court has ruled in this case, but environmental groups say they will keep fighting to keep pollution out of streams and creeks across Virginia.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
