Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers released their final definition of “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS). Following the announcement, Chairman-elect of the House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, issued the statement below:
“Since day one of the Biden Administration, America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers have fallen under constant attack: burdensome regulation, record inflation, high input costs, the politicization of crop protection tools, supply chain disruptions, and now an egregious government land grab.
The final WOTUS rule issued today by the Biden Administration is another step in the wrong direction. Simply recognizing long-standing agriculture exemptions that have been too narrowly applied for decades does not make up for, once again, plunging our rural communities into ambiguity.
Finally, the timing of the rule is questionable given the fact that the Supreme Court is due to rule on a case related to WOTUS regulations in the coming months. I am concerned this action will only result in continuing the regulatory whiplash.”
