The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule limiting the scope of state and tribal review of federal projects’ effect on water quality, a step toward preventing governors of blue states from blocking pipelines and other infrastructure for oil and natural gas.

On Tuesday, the EPA announced that it has proposed a rule to narrow Section 401 of the 1972 Clean Water Act, which allows states and tribes to review federal projects before issuing a water certification to ensure projects comply with water quality standards.

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