Congressman Markwayne Mullin praised House passage of H.R. 5078, Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, of which he is an original cosponsor. The bill aims to uphold the federal-state partnership to regulate the Nation’s waters by preserving existing rights and responsibilities with respect to “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act.
The legislation is in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly proposed rule, which would redefine “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposed rule would give the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers administrative authority to regulate navigable waters, originally designated as the primary responsibility of state governments.
The rule would also expand the scope of waters covered by the CWA. Consequently, farmers and ranchers could be required to apply for CWA Section 404 permits in order to use the land on which they are currently operating.
Congressman Mullin, who is also a rancher, has taken particular notice of the permitting restrictions the agencies’ interpretive rule could place on Oklahoma’s agricultural community.
“What we’re seeing is an unprecedented land grab attempt by our federal government that has the potential to drastically limit agricultural practices across the country,” said Mullin. “For Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, this could mean they have to request permission or permits to operate the same way they have for years on their own land. Personally, I’m appalled by the idea, especially since our state government has successfully regulated our waters for decades now.”
“By passing this legislation today, we’re standing with rural America and against this government overreach,” ended Mullin.
H.R. 5078 passed by a vote of 262-152 and will now be sent to the Senate for approval.
