WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the final “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule:
“The final WOTUS rule announced today is deeply troubling. Rather than incorporating input from Congress and concerned Americans, this rule doubles down on overreach and threatens to impede small businesses, agriculture, and coal and natural gas production.
“There is no question that we want to protect our drinking water sources and our precious natural resources, but a rule that will subject puddles and ditches to regulation would lead to a massive expansion of costly permitting requirements.
“In April, I joined a bipartisan groups of Senators to introduce The Water Quality Protection Act, an alternative approach to the WOTUS rule. This legislation would protect traditional navigable water from pollution while also protecting farmers, energy producers, small businesses and manufacturers. I will continue working with my colleagues to move this legislation forward and rein in the misguided WOTUS rule.”
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