When Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994, House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and other conservatives announced plans to repeal or amend many federal environmental laws. In 1996, the House passed a bill that would have drastically overhauled the 1970 Clean Water Act, easing restrictions on dumping chemicals in lakes and rivers. The Senate, responding to protests, let the bill die without a vote. Nevertheless, critics of the Clean Water Act and similar legislation contend that these regulations are outdated, cumbersome, and a burden on businesses and individuals that must comply with them. According to Arizona governor Fife Symington, “After a given period—say, five years—all regulations that are not demonstrably protecting the health and safety of the American people should be scrapped.”

In response to Republican-led reform efforts, environmental activists and organizations rallied to defuse...