The agency asserted that it still “remains committed” to helping states protect their water systems, despite legal challenges to its formal mandate.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday its withdrawal of earlier guidance aimed at fostering strong cybersecurity protocols within the nation’s water system infrastructure, meaning states will no longer need to adhere to audit requirements for the cybersecurity of their public water systems.
The withdrawal stems from ongoing litigation between the states of Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa and the EPA, where the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ordered a halt of the memorandum’s enforcement in July.
Despite the change in policy direction, the agency said that its cybersecurity posture remains “one of the EPA’s highest priorities” and that cyber attacks “remain a significant threat” to water system operations.
Route Fifty
By Alexandra Kelley
OCT 16, 2023