The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced it will seek to repeal the Waters of the United States rule that Republicans and many states oppose because of its broad expansion of federal jurisdiction and enforcement under the Obama administration.
“We are taking significant action to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to our nation’s farmers and businesses,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Pruitt added that the action is part of a “two-step process” to roll back the Obama administration’s broad attempt to redefine “waters of the U.S.,” in which the EPA is committed to “moving … [to] quickly provide regulatory certainty, in a way that is thoughtful, transparent and collaborative with other agencies and the public.”
The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers sent their proposal to roll back the rule to the Federal Register to officially begin the regulatory review process, as directed by President Trump in an executive order earlier this year.
The GOP has criticized the rule for extending the EPA’s enforcement powers to water bodies that include livestock watering ditches and said it was an overreach into private land owners’ ranches and farms.
The rule also has been seen as stifling energy development. The White House on Monday kicked off Energy Week, during which the administration plans to define its policy of “energy dominance,” a pillar of which is cutting and repealing burdensome regulations.
