Last December, the Trump administration presented a proposal to pull back many of the EPA’s cumbersome rules – among them, the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, regulations. Those are rules regarding “navigable waters” that basically tell Americans what they can do with sometimes even the tiniest sprinkling of water on their property. Under […]
On the regulatory front, this administration is clearly better than the last, said Paul Schlegel, managing director of public policy for the Farm Bureau. “There is a tendency to listen a little bit more in this administration and welcome input,” he said. Outreach is better, and there’s a willingness to get a feel for what […]
A Dearing plant nursery was the backdrop for acting Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler to outline proposed changes to the “Waters of the U.S.” rule that determines which waters are subject to federal regulation. Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, has served as acting EPA administrator since the July resignation of Scott Pruitt amid […]
Builders scored a major victory at the end of 2018 when the Trump administration released its proposed new definition for the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. This revised rule is a welcome reprieve from the 2015 WOTUS definition, which was confusing and a huge encroachment of federal authority. From the moment the 2015 […]
Our office also remains actively involved in arguments to undo the Obama-era WOTUS rule, a regulation that, like the job-killing Power Plan, we stopped in its tracks. That crucial victory blocks the federal government from using the Obama-era rule to take control over almost any body of water, such as isolated streams, dry creek beds, […]
At the Family Farm Alliance, we support the proposed actions to repeal and replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which we viewed as a jurisdictional expansion that would create additional bureaucratic red tape. The 2015 Obama rule also impedes Western producers’ ability to manage the delivery and use of water to grow food and fiber for […]
In early December 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency published for comment a new proposed clean water rule to replace the flawed 2015 “Waters of the U.S.” rule. The details will take some time to sort out — and there may be room for improvement on the latest proposal. But there’s no question that this is […]
Mr. Wheeler highlighted his success at delivering a long-promised proposal to narrow the definition of federal waterways protected under the Clean Water Act. “I believe that any property owner should be able to stand on his or her property and be able to tell for themselves whether or not they have waters of the U.S. on their […]
Since July, Mr. Wheeler has served as acting administrator. Under his leadership, EPA has issued commonsense policy regulations to protect our environment, while still allowing America’s economy to grow. Overreaching regulations such as the so-called Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States rule would have damaged our economy and cost Americans jobs with […]
President Donald Trump touted his administration’s repealing of the “Waters of the United States” rule, also known as WOTUS, while speaking at the 100th annual American Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans. “We’re saving farmers and ranchers from one of the most ridiculous regulations ever imposed on anybody in our nation, the Waters of the […]