AGDAILY: Coalition sends letter to EPA on WOTUS amid lack of public hearing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to issue a final rule on the Waters of the United States by Sept. 1, 2023, amending the Biden WOTUS Rule. According to the notice, the agency is appearing to forego public comment and strike language from the rule related to the nexus test.
In response, the Waters Advocacy Coalition, representing 45 organizations including farmers, sent a letter this week urging the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider their key interpretations of the WOTUS rule.
The coalition requests that the definition of WOTUS not include ditches and to revise the definition of “adjacent” to clarify that wetlands only fall under the rule if they’re indistinguishable part of another WOTUS.
“The WOTUS rule has profound implications on nearly every corner of the American economy, so it is vital that the federal government gets it right,” said Courtney Briggs, WAC chair.