Despite Pact, EPA Leaves Door Open For Sewer Overflow Citizen Lawsuits

Attorneys for EPA are arguing that a judicially approved consent decree with a Chicago water district, intended to reduce sewer overflows, does not bar environmentalists from challenging future overflows, an apparent shift in position that sources following the case say came as a surprise during recent appellate oral argument. Environmentalists are challenging a consent decree between EPA and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Chicago, arguing it is inadequate because it will not end large volumes of combined sewer...