McMorris Rodgers Happy Administration Reviewing WOTUS

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it would review the controversial Waters of the U.S. Rule.  Eastern Washington’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers said WOTUS is one of the most burdensome rules from the EPA in recent years.  She added WOTUS hinders anyone who lives off the land.

“I heard a lot about it in Eastern Washington, you think about the impact on our rural communities, our cattlemen, our farmers and on our ranchers.  Last year I voted to repeal it.  This year, President Trump is calling for a review, and I’m hopeful he ultimately repeals it and we provide relief for the people in Eastern Washington.”

And it wasn’t just McMorris-Rodgers who applauded the President’s decision.

“We applaud President Trump for listening to thousands of farmers and ranchers around the nation when he signed an executive order today telling the Environmental Protection Agency to ditch the onerous Waters of the U.S. rule,” said Oregon Farm Bureau Federation President Barry Bushue.

“President Trump’s order reaffirms both a Supreme Court decision and Congressional action that had already made it very clear to EPA that WOTUS was far beyond the lawful bounds of the Clean Water Act,” Bushue continued.  “This was a case of extreme federal overreach by EPA to the detriment of America’s farm and ranch families.

“The WOTUS rule would’ve expanded federal government control over private property, including ditches, ephemerals, small ponds, and even dry farmland. Farmers and ranchers would’ve had to apply for a costly permit to do even basic work on their land or be at risk for enormous fines and lawsuits,” Bushue said.

“America’s pork producers are very pleased that the president ordered EPA and the Corps of Engineers to repeal or rewrite this ill-conceived, overbroad regulation,” said National Pork Producers Council President John Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa. “The WOTUS rule was a dramatic government overreach and an unprecedented expansion of federal jurisdiction and control over private lands.

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