The Trump administration will defend a Biden-era drinking water regulation that mandates the replacement of virtually all lead pipes by 2037, EPA said Monday.
In a short legal filing, the Justice Department said it will allow litigation to continue on the regulation, which was paused in February by the Trump administration. Water utilities have sued to overturn the rule.
Still, the department and an EPA spokesperson stopped short of saying whether the administration planned to tweak the rule, one of the last major environmental regulations of the Biden administration.
“DOJ is now moving forward with the process of defending the rule. At the same time, EPA will develop new tools and information to support practical implementation flexibilities and regulatory clarity,” the EPA spokesperson said in an email, adding that next steps would be announced “in the coming months.”
