U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) praised a Jan. 23 announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army to replace the Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which was repealed in September 2019.
“I applaud President Trump and his administration for these common-sense changes that will eliminate the patchwork of regulations that caused confusion and uncertainty for farmers and landowners across the country,” Sen. Tillis said last week.
The WOTUS rule originally was developed by the Obama administration’s EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to significantly expand the EPA’s federal jurisdiction and scope of water bodies subject to requirements under the Clean Water Act, according to a statement released by Sen. Tillis’ office.
The revised definition in the new Navigable Waters Protection Rule identifies four categories of waters that are federally regulated under the Clean Water Act to protect the nation’s navigable waters and the core tributary systems that flow into those waters, according to the EPA and Army, which said the final action also details what waters are not subject to federal control.
“The Waters of the U.S. rule created under the Obama administration was a massive government overreach that led to confusion and imposed crippling red-tape on North Carolina’s farmers and small businesses,” said Sen. Tillis. “This new rule will create clearer guidance while preserving our nation’s water quality and continuing to help spur record economic growth.”