Crapo, Risch Applaud WOTUS Revision

Washington, D.C.--Idaho’s U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch applauded the announcement today by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin that the EPA will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver on President Trump’s promise to review the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) and again replace the misguided Obama-era rule that gave the federal government unprecedented power over Idaho’s land and water.

“The Trump Administration continues to deliver on its promise to reduce the size and scope of the federal government in places where it does not belong--like momentary puddles and groundwater ditches,” said Crapo.  “I thank EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for his quick actions to revise WOTUS decisions within the law and under the Supreme Court’s clear ruling on navigable waters.  It’s time to give water management policies back to state and local on-the-ground experts once and for all.”

"The Waters of the United States rule is a prime example of Democrats' attempts to usurp state authority in natural resource management for years.  This egregious federal overreach forced Idaho’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners to treat ditches and puddles like they were lakes and rivers,” said Risch.  “I applaud President Trump and his administration’s work to roll back this unreasonable regulation and deliver policies that work for Idahoans.”

Background:

In 2015, the Obama Administration finalized a rule that defined all bodies of water, including ephemeral streams created by rainfall, as subject to federal government regulation.  This created significant confusion and burdensome red tape for Idaho’s agriculture industry and many others.  The Idaho Congressional Delegation had been a key proponent of a rewrite of the rule to more responsibly reflect the role of state and local jurisdictions.

The Trump Administration proposed a rule to replace the 2015 WOTUS rule with a new rule that provided much-needed predictability and certainty for farmers by establishing clear and reasonable definitions of what qualifies as a “water of the United States.”  The new Navigable Waters Protection Rule was finalized in 2020.

On day one in office, President Biden signed an Executive Order that rolled back the Trump Administration’s efforts.  Crapo and Risch have long fought against the Obama-era WOTUS rule and affirmed the need to uphold the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection rule.

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