THE TENNESSEAN: Congress members want Trump to address opioid crisis, federal regulations, other issues while he’s in Nashville
“Touring Tennessee farms, I often hear about federal overreach,” said [Rep. Scott] DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg, and a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “An egregious example was the Obama administration’s EPA rule that would have placed even rain puddles under federal control.” In an Oval Office event, where he was surrounded by farmers, home builders and county officials, Trump instructed the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers last February to review and reconsider that rule, which he derided as “destructive and horrible” and “a massive power grab. The agencies are now in the process of overturning the rule, which expanded the definition of waters subject to the jurisdiction of the EPA under the Clean Water Act. Under the previous administration, the EPA said the original rule did not explicitly mention puddles because they did not meet the definition for being “a water of the United States.” But after farmers and other groups raised questions, language was included in the final version to specifically exclude puddles from the rule. Regardless, repealing the regulation would make it easier for farmers and developers to drain wetlands and small streams on their property. Blackburn said she looks forward to hearing more about how Trump is leading the EPA “to reduce burdensome regulations and roll back unnecessary red tape.”
