On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a new definition for “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) that would rollback Obama-era regulation.Â
In 2015, the Obama administration expanded the definition of WOTUS that, in effect, gave the federal government authority to regulate water on 97 percent of the land in Iowa.
âOur proposal would replace the Obama EPAâs 2015 definition with one that respects the limits of the Clean Water Act and provides states and landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and grow local economies,â EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said. âFor the first time, we are clearly defining the difference between federally protected waterways and state protected waterways. Our simpler and clearer definition would help landowners understand whether a project on their property will require a federal permit or not, without spending thousands of dollars on engineering and legal professionals.â
âEPA and the Army together propose this new definition that provides a clear and predictable approach to regulating âwaters of the United States.â We focused on developing an implementable definition that balances local and national interests under the Clean Water Act,â said R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. âI have heard from a wide range of stakeholders on Clean Water Act implementation challenges. This proposed definition provides a common-sense approach to managing our nation’s waters.â
The new definition is the result of an executive order that President Donald Trump signed that stated it is in the national interest to ensure that the nation’s navigable waters are kept free from pollution, while at the same time promoting economic growth, minimizing regulatory uncertainty, and showing due regard for the roles of Congress and the states under the Constitution.
The new definition provides clarity. Here are some highlights:
- Outlines six clearly defined categories of waters that will be considered âwaters of the United Statesâ
- Clarifies that most ditches should not be subject to federal control
- Clarifies that groundwater, prior converted cropland and storm water control systems in upland areas are not subject to federal jurisdiction
- Excludes ephemeral features that only contain water during rainfall from federal regulation
- Restores the balance under the Clean Water Act between waters subject to federal jurisdiction and those subject to state/tribal jurisdiction
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) applauded the change.
âFor years, people impacted by Obamaâs WOTUS rule have been in a state of regulatory limbo. The proposed WOTUS rule, released by the Trump EPA, provides
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) praised the change.
âI commend President Trump and his administration for stepping up to fix the mistakes of the out-of-touch Obama administration. The Waters of the U.S. rule was an ill-conceived overreach. The rule and its drafting process were flawed from the beginning. It would have defined 97 percent of Iowa as a waterway, meaning that if implemented, family farmers and other small business owners would have had to get permission from Washington bureaucrats to move soil on dry land,” Grassley said.
âThe move announced today by the Trump administration would set commonsense limits on state versus federal jurisdiction over waterways and make it simpler to comply with regulations aimed at improving water quality. I want to thank President Trump for his leadership, for keeping the promise he made to Rural America to repeal this rule and for providing commonsense regulatory relief to the people of Iowa and Americans across the country,” he added.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds commended the new definition.
âI want to thank Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler and President Donald Trumpâs administration for listening to stakeholders across this country when rewriting the Water of the United States (WOTUS) rule,” Reynolds stated.
âI was able to host members of the administration in our state on more than one occasion to discuss WOTUS with Iowa farmers, business and industry leaders, and stakeholders. I appreciate not only the acting administratorâs willingness to travel to Iowa to hear directly from those impacted, but also his willingness to factor their concerns into the new rule.
âThe new WOTUS rule provides
Photo Credit: Michelle Rook