By Jerry Hagstrom | The Fence Post
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced today that EPA will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to revise the definition of the Waters of the United States.
At a news conference surrounded by Republican members of Congress, Zeldin said that the Trump administration wants to write a revised definition that “follows the law, reduces red tape, cuts overall permitting costs, and lowers the cost of doing business in communities across the country while protecting the nation’s navigable waters from pollution.”
Zeldin said that the Trump administration wants to write a practical rule that will follow the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency and not be a “ping pong” in court decisions anymore. But whether the Trump administration can achieve that is questionable, because previous definitions of WOTUS by Republican and Democratic administrations have been subject to court cases for years.
“We want clean water for all Americans supported by clear and consistent rules for all states, farmers, and small businesses,” Zeldin said in a news release. “The previous administration’s definition of ‘waters of the United States’ placed unfair burdens on the American people and drove up the cost of doing business. Our goal is to protect America’s water resources consistent with the law of the land while empowering American farmers, landowners, entrepreneurs and families to help power the great American comeback.”