U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), vice chairman of the House Science Committee, stressed the importance of regulatory transparency when he questioned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy during a hearing this week.
The hearing was exploring the science that the EPA is using to justify the finalized Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. WOTUS is designed to extend the EPA’s regulatory control over U.S. waterways by expanding the “navigable waters” definition currently used in the Clean Water Act. The new definition includes both standing and flowing water on both private and public land.
Lucas said the scientific data McCarthy cites to support the new rule must be made public, a sentiment Lucas said is shared by the EPA’s Science Advisory Board, as well as the president’s science adviser, John Holdren.
“Coming from a rural area, I’m a little sensitive about the Waters of the United States rule,” Lucas said.
“There’s a fine line between doing things for people and doing things to people; there’s a perception across the country, whether it’s in ag or construction — you’re not doing things for people,” Lucas said. “You’re inevitably doing things to people.”