Articles by Riley Kleemeier

  1. Trump's Funding Freeze And The Fate Of The Colorado River 3/13/2025

    For years, the fate of the Colorado River has been a point of contention amongst lawmakers and environmentalists. Now, amid the Trump administration’s flurry of new regulations, the river’s future is further up for debate.

  2. Supreme Court Rules Against EPA In Water Permitting Case 3/7/2025

    On March 4, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote that the U.S. EPA has overstepped its authority under the Clean Water Act. According to the majority opinion, the agency does not have the authority “to include ‘end-result’ provisions” when setting specific discharge limits.

  3. Trump's Deregulation Push: How It Could Reshape The Water Industry 2/27/2025

    Under another executive order from President Donald Trump, federal agencies now have the authority to review existing regulations and recommend changes or eliminations based on federal rules that are seen as overly burdensome.

  4. Detroit Streets Lined With Frozen Cars After Major Water Main Break 2/20/2025

    In the early hours of the morning on February 17, a catastrophic water main break in Southwest Detroit sent a flood of icy water into the streets, causing panic and extensive property damage. According to AP, this break of a 1930s-built pipe left 72 homes without electricity, 190 with flooded basements, and 174 without heat. 133 households stayed in hotels.

  5. China-Made Cameras May Be Used To Spy On U.S. Infrastructure 2/13/2025

    In October 2024, America’s largest water utility, American Water, was hit by a cyberattack — an event that underscored the growing vulnerability of U.S. critical infrastructure. For a utility that provides drinking and wastewater services to more than 14 million people, such attacks pose serious risks to public safety.

  6. 1,000 EPA Employees Could Be Fired 'Immediately': What Does That Mean For The Water Industry? 2/6/2025

    Last week, more than a thousand employees at the U.S. EPA received a worrying email: “As a probationary/trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you.” The email, obtained by CNN, was primarily sent to employees who had been with the agency for less than a year.

  7. Trump Tables PFAS Rule, Causing Concern 1/30/2025

    It has been a busy first week in office for President Donald Trump, who has wasted no time in issuing executive orders and reversing Biden administration actions. Among these actions was an executive order withdrawing from any U.S. EPA regulations that were still under review. Included in these regulations was the EPA’s proposed limits on PFAS in wastewater.

  8. Trump Administration Reverses California Water Rules Amid Controversy 1/24/2025

    Just one month after the Biden administration announced long-awaited water delivery rules for California, newly inaugurated President Trump put forth a presidential action to develop a revised plan within 90 days.