Restoring Limits of Clean Water Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last month, the EPA announced the new navigable waters rules that would replace the disastrous waters of the U.S. proposal.

I strongly support this rule, which will finally restore the limits of the Clean Water Act, providing farmers, ranchers, and landowners true clarity on the law's reach.

To help bring more certainty to farm producers, I recently introduced with my friend, Representative Collin Peterson, H.R. 5799, the Bridging Responsible Agricultural Conservation Efforts Act of 2020, which addresses wetland determinations under the Clean Water Act.

Under current law, EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, and USDA are tasked with such determinations on farmlands. However, farmers have experienced confusion and undue burdens for decades due to the discoordination between the agencies when making such determinations. This bill will foster cohesion between the agencies and clarify what defines normal farming practices.

Modernizing modern farming practices and clearly defining converted croplands will bring long-overdue certainty to this process.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation, which is a win for our Nation's farmers and ranchers.

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