EPA Administrator to visit North Dakota for WOTUS roundtable

U.S. Senator and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler will visit Bismarck next Monday for a roundtable on the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule.

“I’ve enjoyed working to advance our energy and agricultural priorities with Administrator Wheeler, who committed to visiting North Dakota during his confirmation process,” said Senator Cramer. “As North Dakotans know, the Obama-era WOTUS rule was an unlawful and unconstitutional power grab, capable of inflicting serious harm on many in our state and across the country. I look forward to hosting this event with Administrator Wheeler to discuss implementing a legally sound replacement and putting states back in the driver’s seat.”

As EPW Subcommittee Chairman, Senator Cramer convened a joint hearing on WOTUS, which included testimony from North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. There, the Senator stressed the need for a definitive ruling on WOTUS and spoke about cooperative federalism and relationship between federal and local governments as it relates to enforcement.

“That state primacy- that cooperative federalism model- works very well when you have the unique understanding of the local area under the umbrella of federal oversight and a mutually respectful relationship with the federal government,” Senator Cramer said at the hearing. “The closer enforcement can be to the people you are enforcing the better.”