Oregon Court of Appeals Confirms Removal of Receiving Water Limits Is Not Backsliding

The scope of what Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits may lawfully require continues to narrow. On April 29, 2026, in Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA) v. DEQ, the Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to renew an NPDES permit without a narrative “cause or contribute” receiving water limitation, rejecting arguments that the change unlawfully constituted backsliding of water quality... By: Stoel Rives - Environmental Law Blog