On January 9, Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) led all ten Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers. The letter commended the agencies’ proposed rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS).
“We applaud the proposal to revise the definition of ‘waters of the United States’ (WOTUS) issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps). The Agencies’ proposed rule would establish a clearer definition of jurisdictional waters subject to the Clean Water Act (CWA) that complies with the legal boundaries articulated by the Supreme Court, right-size federal and state jurisdiction over waters consistent with the CWA, and protect our nation’s waters. We appreciate the Agencies’ work during the development and consideration of the proposed rule to create meaningful opportunities for broad public input,” EPW Republican members stated in the letter.
The letter also emphasized adherence to recent legal standards: “The Agencies’ proposed rule faithfully adheres to the text of the CWA and the Sackett decision, a critical attribute that will ensure that the rule is legally durable. As the Agencies review public comments, we encourage EPA and Army Corps to consider these comments and incorporate feedback to further improve the rule. We urge the Agencies to finalize a rule that, like the proposal, provides regulatory certainty, supports cooperative federalism, and follows statutory text and Supreme Court’s ruling. We look forward to publication of final WOTUS rule in coming months.”
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversees federal programs related to environmental protection, infrastructure development, pollution control, water resources, transportation legislation, natural resource conservation, environmental quality regulation, wildlife protection policies, public works projects management, clean air initiatives and more through its subcommittees according to its official website. The committee operates from Washington D.C., specifically from offices at 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Shelley Moore Capito currently chairs this committee alongside other members such as Kevin Cramer and Cynthia Lummis as listed on their official website.
The full letter referenced by committee Republicans is available online.
