Senator Roberts
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today urged Kansans to provide comment on new proposed regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that attempt to further define the scope of waters regulated under the Clean Water Act.
“Too often Kansans have felt that their way of life has been under attack or hindered by the EPA with the Clean Water Act as the justification,” Roberts said in a news release. “From every corner of the state, I hear from farmers, ranchers, small businesses owners, and others that want limits to the federal government’s reach and for the administration to work with them instead of against them.”
“These technical definitions and changes to the Clean Water Act lay the groundwork for continued environmental regulation and potential future regulatory efforts,” Roberts said. “I encourage all Kansans to look over the proposed rule, ask questions, and submit comments for the record. Farm ponds and dry creek beds simply should not be regulated as if they are the Missouri River. Kansans should weigh in to make sure common sense prevails.”
The public now has 90 days to comment on the agencies’ proposal to clarify the scope of the “waters of the United States” regulated under the Clean Water Act and what can be classified as “other waters” outside of the law’s jurisdiction. The agencies also propose, for the first time, to define the terms “neighboring,” “riparian area,” “floodplain,” “tributary,” and “significant nexus.”
Roberts is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.
To provide a comment, go to: epa.gov/uswaters