Whitfield Works for Protection of U.S. Waters from Federal Overreach
Press Release
U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY-01), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, is pleased to announce the introduction of H.R. 594, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2015 that Whitfield joined as an original cosponsor. This important legislation upholds the federal-state partnership to regulate the nation's waters by preserving existing rights and responsibilities with respect to "Waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act (CWA). A similar measure passed the House of Representatives during the 113th Congress but was not voted on by the Senate.
"This proposed rule is just another example of how President Obama is trying to expand the federal government's control into all aspects of our lives, and this prospect should be concerning for every American," said Whitfield. "I want to thank my colleagues and particularly Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) for bringing this important legislation back to the forefront of this Congress. We must take swift action to rein in the President's heavy-handed federal overreach, protect Kentucky's farmers, and preserve those rights that are critical to our country's economic success."
Last March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a proposed rule that would drastically expand the definition of Waters of the United States under the CWA to include any area with even the slightest connection to downstream waters, including drainage ditches, farm ponds, and seasonally wet areas. H.R. 594 prohibits the EPA and the USACE from developing, finalizing, adopting, implementing, applying, administering, or enforcing the proposed rule or redefining Waters of the U.S. under the CWA. The bill also prohibits the EPA and the USACE from expanding the scope of the CWA or from using the proposed rule as the basis for future actions. Additionally, the legislation requires the EPA and USACE to work with the state and local governments to determine which waters would be regulated by the federal government and which would be regulated by the states under the CWA.
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