WOTUS Repeal Proposed

WOTUS Repeal Proposed

The EPA's 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule or WOTUS has been a very contentious issue with most of the country's private landowners and agriculture. On Tuesday during a U.S. Senate panel EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said he would propose withdrawing the 2015 rule and then the plan would be

Pruitt: "Revert back to 2008. The standard that was adopted in 2008 through some guidance in that timeframe. Then have a proposed rule on a replacement to the 2015 rule."

The replacement rule would be published by end of this year or early 2018. The proposal to repeal the 2015 rule will appear in the Federal Register this week and will be subject to a public comment period as will the proposed replacement rule. Pruitt continues

Pruitt: "I think is what is important with respect to this issue is the lack of clarity that the previous rule — the 2015 rule — created. It created a situation where farmers and ranchers, landowners across the country did not know whether their stream or their dry creek bed, in some cases, was actually subject to EPA jurisdiction and EPA authority. So they were facing fines that were substantial as they engaged in earthwork to build subdivisions. It was something that create a substantial amount of uncertainty and confusion."

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