U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, said legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulatory overreach on Waters of the U.S. was approved by the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee (EPW) on June 10. The legislation now awaits debate by the full Senate.
“I am glad to work with EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe against EPA’s gross overreach on rural America,” says Roberts. “EPA has ignored agriculture’s concerns with the rule. I hope the Senate will act swiftly to consider our bill to ensure farmers and ranchers and other rural businesses are a partner in efforts to protect clean water, and not treated as an adversary.”
The Federal Water Quality Protection Act requires EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the current proposed rule, which has received considerable criticism from a variety of industries, and restart the full rulemaking process to develop a new rule in consultation with stakeholders, state partners and regulated entities.
For background on the EPA's ruling, go here.