Cramer issues statement after EPA releases new rule to define WOTUS

 

U.S. Senator and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee Chairman on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releasing a new rule to define the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) today:

“Today’s announcement is excellent news. President Trump’s Administration values sound water policy and, more importantly, staying within the confines of the law. The 2015 Rule was egregious, and it’s good to see it being replaced with a new rule that is legal and will work for our farmers, businesses, and local governments. I’m grateful for the role North Dakotans played in leading on this issue, and I look forward to ensuring this rule is properly implemented.”

As the EPW Subcommittee Chairman overseeing water issues, Senator Cramer convened a hearing last year, with testimony from North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, to highlight the problems of the 2015 WOTUS rule and to outline the principles a new rule should follow.

Last September, the Senator praised the Trump Administration’s repeal of WOTUS and hosted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler in North Dakota to discuss this issue at a roundtable with North Dakota stakeholders and local leaders.