THE HILL: Opinion: EPA proposal will provide a balanced way to protect rivers and other major bodies of water

Every citizen of this country wants crystal-clean water, but virtually no one wants the federal government to monitor and control every last corner of the country in pursuit of that goal. Are these priorities compatible? Is it possible for the government to conduct reasonable, necessary environmental protection of our crucial waterways while leaving law-abiding citizens, […]

THE KANSAS CITY STAR: Guest Commentary: Trump administration’s Waters of the United States rule gives power back to states

Shortly after he took office, Trump issued an executive order directing EPA and the Army to review and replace, as appropriate, the 2015 definition with one that restores the rule of law and the role of states and landowners in managing their land and water resources. He also explicitly charged us to consider doing so […]

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Trump’s EPA rolls back Obama-era ‘puddle’ rule

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday put new limits on an Obama-era rule that subjected watering holes and ditches to federal clean water regulations by treating them like rivers and streams. The EPA’s definition makes some key changes to the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule, but does keep a fair amount of the original […]

CNN: EPA announces new definition of waters protected under Clean Water Act

The EPA announced plans to change the definition of which waters in the United States are protected under the Clean Water Act on Tuesday — a change President Donald Trump has been working toward since the beginning of his administration. The new rule divides US waters into six categories: traditional navigable waters, tributaries to those […]

BROWNFIELD AG NEWS FOR AMERICA: EPA Releases New WOTUS Rule

The EPA has released the new Waters of the U.S. Rule under the Clean Water Act. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa says she is pleased with EPA’s rapid action. “This WOTUS replacement rule was released quickly, very important, and properly to provide much-needed regulatory certainty.” Senator Pat Roberts says during his travels around the country […]

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: EPA Chief Calls for Narrowing Scope of Clean-Water Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal Tuesday that reduces the number of federally protected bodies of water compared with an Obama-era rule it seeks to replace. EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the rule will give states needed flexibility in managing their streams and wetlands and provides greater certainty to Americans about when permits […]

Waters Advocacy Coalition (WAC) Statement on the Proposed New Water Rule

the Waters Advocacy Coalition released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of the Army announced the proposed new water rule:

“Today’s release of a new water rule is an encouraging next step in the decades-long push for a WOTUS definition that empowers communities to protect their own water resources while providing regulatory clarity for our nation’s farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and landowners.”

THE DAILY CALLER: Memo Details How Trump Will Rein In EPA’s Control Over ‘Ephemeral Streams,’ ‘Ditches’

“The previous administration’s 2015 rule wasn’t about water quality. It was about power – power in the hands of the federal government over farmers, developers, and landowners,” reads a draft Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) memo obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The draft memo lists Trump administration talking points for why the Obama administration’s […]

THE HILL: Put ‘regulation by enforcement’ where it belongs: The trash

Take the example of the Sacketts. Mike and Chantell Sackett wanted to build a house on their land. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wasn’t too happy about this and insisted that the Sacketts needed a permit to develop their own property. The EPA claimed that this was mandated by the Clean Water Act, which the […]

CAPITAL PRESS: NCBA: Cattle industry makes progress on environmental policy

Work remains to finalize the repeal of the waters of the U.S. rule — called WOTUS — expanding EPA and Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The rule had been suspended while the agencies worked to replace it, and two federal courts blocked implementation in 24 states. But a “zombie” WOTUS […]