Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt told lawmakers Tuesday that the EPA has sent its repeal of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule to the federal register, beginning the process of ending the regulation.
Many agriculture groups were pleased with the announcement, including the National Pork Producers Council. Their President, Ken Maschhoff, in a release said: “This is great news for America’s pork producers.” “The WOTUS rule was a dramatic government overreach and an unprecedented expansion of federal authority over private lands.” He added, “We’re extremely grateful to President Trump and EPA Administrator Pruitt for recognizing the dire consequences this ill-advised Obama-era regulation would have had on pork producers and all of the American agriculture.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Craig Uden called the move a “step in the right direction,” while noting that the rule “isn’t dead yet.” NCBA and others have vowed to submit comments during the rulemaking process to rescind the rule.
During his talk with a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, Pruitt discussed the confusion that was generated by the 2015 rule.
The proposed repeal of the rule is subject to a public comment period.
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