The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a repeal of an Obama-era regulation putting more wetlands and waterways under the protection of the Clean Water Act. The regulation is called Water of the United States, or WOTUS.
Supporters say the bill helps consolidate the authority of interstate and navigable waters. Opponents say it encroaches on state authority. Farmers and developers worry the rule would be a headache to follow, because they often have bodies of water on their own land.
Kathleen Williams, with Western Landowners Alliance, said that may be true.
“They are subjected to a lot of rules and requirements. I think they want to know there’s predictability, certainty, and a rationale behind rules they need to follow,” Williams said.
U.S. Senator John Barrasso applauds the Trump administration in working to remove it, calling the regulation indefensible.