U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Kristina Baum - 202.224.6176
Donelle Harder - 202.224.1282
Inhofe: Instead of fixing overreach in WOTUS rule, E.P.A. made it broader
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works (EPW), released the following statement after the announcement of the E.P.A.'s (EPA) final rule on the "waters of the United States" (WOTUS):
"Since the beginning of the new Congress, my committee has been committed to providing rigorous oversight of EPA's new rule defining 'waters of the United States.' This began with a bicameral hearing in early February, where E.P.A. Adm. Gina McCarthy and Assistant Secretary for the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy admitted the WOTUS rule is flawed, inconsistent, and ambiguous and promised to ameliorate and address the concerns of states, local governments and agriculture. Those concerns mounted as my committee continued to review the rule in 4 subsequent hearings.
"Despite their assurances, it appears that E.P.A. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have failed to keep their promises to Congress and the American people. In fact, instead of fixing the overreach in the suggested rule, remarkably, E.P.A. has made it even broader.
"This makes it more important than ever for Congress to act. Last month, I stood with a bipartisan group of Senators to unveil S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, to rein in EPA's attempt to use the Clean Water Act to expand federal control over land and water. Senator Dan Sullivan, Chairman of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, held a legislative hearing on the bill last week that underscored the importance of keeping the focus of the Clean Water Act on clean water and called out EPA's attempt to use the rule as a tool for habitat protection. The E.P.A. has set themselves up to increase federal control over private lands, and I will not allow it. Our committee is planning for a markup on S. 1140 this summer, as we continue our work to halt EPA's unprecedented land grab and refocus its job on protecting traditional navigable waters from pollution."
Expansion in the Final Rule:
Under the final rule, E.P.A. has decided that it can regulate isolated wetlands and ponds in farmer's fields by designating them "regional treasures."
Since the 2001 Supreme Court decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook Co. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001), agencies such as the U.S.F.W.S. have used conservation partnerships and land purchases to maintain isolated waters for bird habitat, including prairie potholes and playa lakes. However, in the final rule, E.P.A. has decided that by declaring a farmer's field a "regional water treasure" the federal government can put partnership and land purchases aside and simply regulate private property. Under the final rule, isolated bodies of waterwill be considered regulated "systems." As a result, the final rule expands federal control over thousands of farmer's fields in the Midwest and elsewhere.
In the 114th Congress, the E.P.W. Committee has conducted 5 hearings on the suggested WOTUS rule, in excess of any other topic this Congress. The following is background on those hearings, as well as legislation and letters involving the rule:
On February four, the E.P.W. Committee held a bicameral hearing with the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that examined the impacts on state and local governments of a suggested rule to expand federal regulation of waters under the Clean Water Act. Witnesses in attendance included E.P.A. Adm. Gina McCarthy and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Work Jo-Ellen Darcy as well as local government leaders. Following the hearing Inhofe and House T&I Committee Chairman Bill Shuster called for the E.P.A. to withdraw the suggested WOTUS rule.
On March 14, the E.P.W. Committee held a field hearing chaired by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) in Lincoln, Nebraska. The hearing focused on the impact of the suggested WOTUS rule, which would expand federal regulation of water in Nebraska.
On April six and 8, Senator Dan Sullivan, chairman of the E.P.W. Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife held 2 field hearings - one in Anchorage, Alaska and the other in Fairbanks, Alaska - to examine local impacts of EPA's suggested WOTUS rule on state and local governments and stakeholders.
On April 30, Inhofe joined Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) in introducing the Federal Water Quality Protection Act. The bipartisan legislation will ensure the protection of traditional navigable waters of the United States. It also protects farmers, ranchers and private landowners by directing the E.P.A. (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule that does not include things such as isolated ponds, ditches, agriculture water, storm water, groundwater, floodwater, municipal water supply systems, wastewater management systems, and streams without enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters.
On May 19, the E.P.W. Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife held a legislative hearing on S.1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act.
On May 22, Inhofe along with Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) sent a letter to McCarthy to express concerns and demand answers regarding a recent New York Times article that reported that the E.P.A. may have conducted an unprecedented and possibly illegal lobbying and marketing effort on behalf of the controversial WOTUS rule making.
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