State Submits Comments Opposing EPA Control

Press Release

The State of Alaska submitted comments opposing a draft Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would unlawfully place most of Alaska's waters and lands under the control of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.

"The proposed rule would significantly expand EPA's reach onto state, local, and private lands under Clean Water Act (CWA) regulation," said Governor Sean Parnell. "This proposed rule not only federalizes land use decisions for state, local, and private landowners, it places them under threat of fines and penalties up to $72,500 a day and jail time. Property owners would have to pay the federal government a permit fee, wait for the permit to be issued, and then pay the federal government for the privilege of using their own property through costly "mitigation" fees. Alaskans would have little choice but to comply with EPA and Army Corps' demands, since the fees must be paid or the property owner will be fined and possibly jailed."

The EPA is poised to enact this rule by next summer. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, H.R. 5078, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014, which would stop the EPA. It has been sitting in the Senate with no action scheduled for more than two months.

"I urge our senators to push for a floor vote on H.R. 5078 immediately," Governor Parnell added.

The State's comments ask the EPA and the Corps to withdraw the proposed rule.

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