(DTN) -- There will be no hearing of the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on the waters of the United States rule as a result of an order issued Thursday by the court in Cincinnati.
Instead of the entire 23-judge court reviewing the case, the illegal future of the rule will remain in the hands of a three-judge panel. Ag groups, states and others that had sued over the Clean Water Act rule were pushing for an "en banc" hearing, meaning they essentially wanted all 23 judges of the Sixth Circuit Court to rehear the arguments on jurisdiction.
"The court received six petitions for rehearing en banc," the court said in an order issued Thursday. "The original panel has reviewed the petitions for rehearing and concludes that the issues raised in the petitions were fully considered upon the original submission and decision of the cases.
"The petitions then were circulated to the full court. No judge has requested a vote on the suggestion for rehearing en banc. Therefore, the petitions are denied."