NOEM: Trump Action, a Step toward Ditching WOTUS Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today applauded President Trump’s Executive Order to begin pulling back the controversial, Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.
“The Obama administration attempted to pull off one of the largest federal land grabs in U.S. history when it finalized the Waters of the U.S. rule,” said Noem. “Today’s actions are a step toward reversing the rule’s impact and lifting another regulatory burden from the shoulders of hardworking farmers, ranchers, and homeowners. As the administration’s efforts move forward, I will continue to work on the legislative front to reverse this Obama-era regulation and protect South Dakotans from the costly impacts it could have.”
As finalized by the Obama administration, the WOTUS rule could greatly expand the federal government’s control over small and seasonal bodies of water throughout South Dakota and the country. Estimates show that if a landowner falls out of compliance, penalties could cost more than $30,000 per violation, per day.
In May 2015, Noem helped the U.S. House of Representatives pass the bipartisan H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015, which would send the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers back to the drawing board on the WOTUS rule. Months later, a federal appellate court temporarily suspended the nationwide implementation of the WOTUS rule, a suspension that holds today.
In January 2016, Noem joined the House in passing legislation disapproving the rule. President Obama later vetoed the bill. Watch Noem discuss this legislation.
In February 2017, Noem joined more than 35 Members of Congress in a letter to President Trump, urging the administration to take action to roll WOTUS back.
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