The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army hosted a Midwest-centered virtual regional roundtable about the waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) May 9.
The motivation of the roundtable was to provide a diverse and regionally focused perspective, according to a May 6 EPA news release. The event was organized by the National Parks Conservation Association and is one of 10 roundtables to highlight diverse perspectives and regional experience.
"We believe all Americans support clean water and look forward to the interesting dialogue that will be cultivated in these roundtables," EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said in the release. “As EPA and Army continue toward WOTUS implementation that is durable and protects our water resources, it is essential that we hear from diverse perspectives and understand regional variations in how that plays out."
According to the release, Army officials also praised the collaboration.
"The Army is looking forward to participating in these regional roundtables, particularly to gain a better understanding of ways to ensure implementation of the definition of WOTUS is clear with the appropriate level of consideration for regional differences and identification of tools that may exist," Jaime Pinkham, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, said in the release. "The Army recognizes how important communication is to implementing the Clean Water Act and looks forward to the upcoming dialogue."
