WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Tuesday set a new goal to protect major U.S. water resources, from rivers to wetlands, as part of a series of announcements to mark Earth Week.
The administration plans to announce a new goal: to protect, restore and reconnect 8 million acres (3.2 million hectares) of threatened wetlands and 100,000 miles (161,000 km) of rivers and streams, according to White House documents.
The White House, which is hosting a water summit on Tuesday, also plans to pledge $1 billion to deliver clean water to households on Native American soil.
Half of tribal households do not have access to clean drinking water or adequate sanitation, the government said. Meanwhile, much of the west of the country has been plagued by drought for decades due to climate change.
The Biden administration last year weakened a rule regulating pollution of waterways, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory reach.
