U.S. Representative Kristi Noem says the House has passed legislation to stop a proposed water rule. The Waters of the U.S. rule seeks to clarify who has jurisdiction over various bodies of water in the U.S. Noem says the proposal gives the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers too much authority.
According to the EPA, the point is to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act. But Representative Kristi Noem says she believes the proposed rule could become one of the largest federal land grabs in history.
“If the EPA moves forward with changing this definition, land owners could be required to obtain permits for things as small as mowing their lawns or controlling weeds and pests,” Noem says. “Violations could result in fines as high as $37,500 per each violation per day. So this bill that I voted for yesterday on the House floor, it would prohibit the EPA or the Army Corps of Engineers from moving forward on a plan that would expand their jurisdiction over these waters in the United States. It would keep control with the states and with local governments like it has been in the past.”
Noem says she hopes the legislation against the EPA rule becomes a priority in the Senate.
Fact sheets on the EPA’s website say that agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are not dramatically expanding jurisdiction, and that they’re not going to have greater power over water on farms and ranches.
The public comment period on the rule change closes October 20th.