U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) will facilitate a joint hearing on Wednesday to discuss how the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States proposal would impact municipal and state governments.
The bicameral meeting will include the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Introduced by the Obama administration, the Waters of the United States proposal is an effort to define which water areas may be subjected to federal jurisdiction through the Clean Water Act. If approved, the proposal could increase the federal government’s reach in a dramatic way.
“We need to make certain that the EPA does not expand its regulatory overreach to include bodies of water as small as ditches, wetlands and ponds on private property,” Shuster explained. “While House efforts to stop this power grab were blocked by the Senate last Congress, I look forward to working with the new Republican majority to send a bill to the president’s desk that protects our farmers, home builders and small businesses from this damaging proposal.”
Wednesday’s hearing will lay the groundwork for legislation that would block the proposal.