WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal' Rogers (KY-05) released the following statement today regarding the Trump Administration's intent to repeal and replace the Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.  The overreaching rule was published in June 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act (CWA), expanding their regulatory power over private waterways.

"Withdrawing the Obama-era WOTUS rule would restore power back to each state and back to private land owners. The Obama Administration tried to run roughshod over our hard working farmers, contractors and private land owners to control everything from ditches to dirt-moving activity. I applaud the Trump Administration for moving forward with efforts to rescind the WOTUS rule and protect Americans from unnecessary regulations."

The announcement comes four months after President Trump signed an executive order for the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider rescinding and replacing the rule.

The Supreme Court has twice affirmed the federal-state regulatory partnership, ruling that there are limits to federal jurisdiction under the CWA, and furthermore that the Agencies had breached these limits. 

Last year, Rogers voted for S.J. Res. 22, a joint resolution disapproving of a rule redefining Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act, in an effort to block the rule and prohibit any new rules with similar intent. In 2015, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nationwide stay against the rule.