The Waters of the United States rule, passed by administrative fiat in June 2015, gave the federal government jurisdiction over nearly every river, lake, creek, estuary, pond, swamp, prairie pothole, irrigation ditch, and intermittent rivulet in the U.S. It’s a regulation that can force a rancher to spend $40,000 trying to get permission to grade […]
REASON: Are Dry Stream Beds Navigable Waters of the United States?
/in NEWS /by wpengineThe Waters of the United States rule, passed by administrative fiat in June 2015, gave the federal government jurisdiction over nearly every river, lake, creek, estuary, pond, swamp, prairie pothole, irrigation ditch, and intermittent rivulet in the U.S. It’s a regulation that can force a rancher to spend $40,000 trying to get permission to grade […]
CRONKITE NEWS: Arizona rancher, official tell Congress states need voice in water regs
/in NEWS /by wpengineFederal regulation of waterways may not be the first issue that comes to mind in a desert state like Arizona, but don’t tell that to Pima County cattle rancher Jim Chilton. Chilton was one of two Arizonans invited to testify Wednesday on the Waters of the United States rule, an Obama administration plan to streamline […]
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: EPA chief denounces water rule in visit to Kentucky
/in NEWS /by wpengineEnvironmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt found a friendly audience Thursday in his native Kentucky as he lambasted an Obama-era clean-water rule. Speaking to a Kentucky Farm Bureau audience, Pruitt said the rule aimed at protecting small streams and wetlands from development and pollution was an example of federal overreach. He said it tried to […]
AEI: Waters of the US Rule and Clean Water Act Fail to Provide Cost-Effective Improvements in Water Quality
/in STUDIES /by wpengineTo protect navigable waters, the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction extends to waters linked to navigable ones. But because essentially all waters are connected, under the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, agencies will assess the degree of connectivity on a case-by-case basis. A recent executive order from President Donald Trump asks the Environmental […]
INSIDE EPA: : House Republicans Hold ‘Nascent’ Talks On Bill To Limit CWA Jurisdiction
/in NEWS /by wpengineThe top Republican on the House science panel’s environment subcommittee says there are “bubbling, nascent discussions” on potential legislation to limit the reach of the Clean Water Act (CWA), but any such bill could be far off despite subcommittee members voicing support for restricting the law’s scope during a Nov. 29 hearing. Speaking to Inside […]
CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito: Trump EPA bringing positive change
/in NEWS /by wpengineEveryone agrees that we need clean air and clean water; still, West Virginians should not be forced to choose between economic prosperity and a clean environment. We expect both. That is why federal environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act provide for cooperation between federal authorities and state officials. This […]
THE WASHINGTON TIMES: Top White House officials say they’re rolling back administrative state
/in NEWS /by wpengineLast month, the Trump administration rolled back the birth-control mandate. Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said the Waters of the United States rule will suffer a similar fate. “We’re providing regulatory clarity there,” Mr. Pruitt said at the conference Friday. “Two-step process, actually: We’re withdrawing the deficient rule from 2015. That process […]
WASHINGTON EXAMINER: EPA seeks two-year delay of Obama’s Waters of the US rule
/in NEWS /by wpengineThe Environmental Protection Agency is looking to delay the start date for the Obama administration’s Waters of the U.S. rule for two years, giving the agency and the Army Corps of Engineers more time to reconsider a key definition that is at the heart of litigation opposing the regulation. “This step will allow us to […]
FARM FUTURES: Trump administration keeps rolling back regulations
/in NEWS /by wpengineWhen President Trump entered the office earlier this year, regulatory burdens was a top concern for U.S. producers. His 2-for-1 regulatory rollback (eliminating two regulations for every one proposed) he announced early on in his term and actions on top-of-mind concerns such as WOTUS are getting high marks. In our August survey, 86% of those […]
THE OKLAHOMAN: Editorial: Trump’s actions are more popular than his rhetoric
/in NEWS /by wpengineTrump’s executive actions include rescinding the Environmental Protection Agency’s “waters of the United States” rule, which critics credibly argued was so broad it would have allowed the federal government to treat drainage ditches in arid land as a regulated body of navigable water. Even Democratic members of the House and the Senate publicly opposed the […]