WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to suspend the pending rulemaking to redefine the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA), specifically “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), until the U.S. Supreme Court completes its consideration of Sackett v. EPA, a case expected to have major implications on CWA scope and enforcement.
The senator joined the entire Senate Republican Conference in a letter arguing it would be irresponsible for EPA and USACE to proceed with a rulemaking that could be invalidated or significantly altered as early as this summer. The letter also criticizes how the regulatory overreach proposed by the rule would “snarl American economic sectors in red tape” and impose significant uncertainty on a range of stakeholders, especially farmers and ranchers.
“The federal government should not promulgate rules for the sake of political expediency, but rather provide regulatory certainty for stakeholders within the bounds of an agency’s respective statutory authority,” the senators wrote. “Proceeding with the rulemaking at this time, despite the pending litigation and potentially influential ruling, will only deepen uncertainty within the regulated community.”
“We are foremost troubled to see that the proposed rule exceeds the regulatory authority granted to EPA and USACE by the Clean Water Act,” the senators continued. “The proposed rule seeks to federalize waters in a land grab that arguably surpasses its 2015 predecessor, improperly encompassing water features traditionally within the sole purview of states, while reverting from the comparative straightforward application of the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule … and interjecting new uncertainties for nearly every private sector stakeholder.”
“Farmers are frustrated with the back and forth on water regulations,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We finally had clarity with the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, but the definition of ‘Waters of the U.S.’ now faces more uncertainty. Farmers are deliberate in how they use resources and continued indecision makes it difficult to plan and grow the food America’s families rely on. We urge the Biden administration to pause its plan to write a new WOTUS rule until the Supreme Court provides more guidance on which waters fall under federal jurisdiction.”
“For years, cattle producers have faced ever shifting WOTUS definitions, leaving farmers and ranchers wondering if a water feature on their property might suddenly fall under federal jurisdiction,” said Scott Yager, chief environmental counsel at National Cattleman’s Beef Association. “With the Supreme Court set to hear a case on WOTUS, cattle producers stand united in urging the Biden administration to suspend further WOTUS rulemaking until the outcome of the case is clear. NCBA thanks Senator Thune for encouraging the EPA to pause their rulemaking and avoid even more confusing regulations on producers.”
“The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association applauds Senator Thune and all the senators for their leadership to ensure our industry faces workable and reliable water regulations,” said Austin Bone, director of government affairs at National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association. “We support their call on the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to delay the current Clean Water Act rulemaking until the Supreme Court has the opportunity to finish its deliberation on a case that will impact the agencies’ actions and likely force them to write another rule. Aggregates producers, who are facing their fourth change to these critical regulations in the past decade, crave certainty, as we work to supply the nation with building materials to better our infrastructure. We call on EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to heed the calls of Senator Thune and all the senators who signed today’s letter to ensure our businesses are able to continue working to help build America.”
Source: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CF84F370-0A53-46C5-B57E-8108562DDD97
