WASHINGTON, D.C. – National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn issued this statement following today’s announcement of the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers’ proposal to repeal the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and recodify the definition of jurisdictional waters that preceded it, as called for by the Feb. 28, 2017 Presidential Executive Order:
“This sets in motion a welcome correction to a deeply problematic regulation that ignored the careful balance that Congress struck between federal and state water regulation and constitutional limits on federal authority.”
“Under the guise of clarifying federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction, the WOTUS rule impermissibly expanded federal jurisdiction to virtually any standing body of water — from roadside drainage ditches to local green energy projects.”
“We look forward to working with the administration as it replaces the WOTUS rule with environmentally responsible policies that provide regulatory clarity for businesses and proper recognition of state authority to manage water quality as Congress intended.”