EPA Finalizes Rule to Safeguard Tribal Rights in Water Quality Standards Nationwide, Enhancing Fishing and Gathering Protections.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a rule to protect tribes’ legal rights to fish and gather aquatic plants in water quality standards nationwide. The rule requires states to account for tribal uses of rivers, lakes and streams, including hunting and fishing practices, when setting water quality goals and limiting wastewater pollution. The final rule requires tribes to assert their rights in writing and ensure that tribal members are protected from cancer risks and illnesses stemming from water pollution to the same degree as the general population. Some states may need to reclassify bodies of water for different uses to ensure tribes’ rights are protected. The regulation could also indirectly affect wastewater permits for industrial plants and public works facilities.