Cramer, colleagues issue letter urging OMB to make ACOE collaborate on Water Supply Rule

U.S. Senator and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Chairman Kevin Cramer (R-ND) led a bipartisan letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney expressing strong opposition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) proposed rulemaking for their use of reservoir projects for domestic, municipal, and industrial water supply. He was joined by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Risch (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Enzi (R-WY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Martha McSally (R-AZ), James Inhofe (R-OK), Michael Rounds (R-SD), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), John Thune (R-SD), James Lankford (R-OK), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

“We have attempted to provide input to the Corps on its proposed implementation of federal law, but our concerns have not been adequately addressed,” the group of Senators wrote. “We urge you in your capacity to direct the Corps to make the adjustments necessary to follow decades of federal precedent and respect state and tribal water authority.”

States, tribes, and stakeholders filed comments expressing concern the rule- first proposed in December 2016- conflicts with Congressional intent and state water authority. OMB also received letters on this issue from the National Water Resources Association, the Western Governors Association, the Western States Water Council, the National Water Supply Alliance, and the Conference of Western Attorneys General.

Click here to view the letter.