Roberts Praises Decision to Halt WOTUS in Several States
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, announced he is pleased a decision by a federal judge to halt the damaging 'Waters of the U.S.' (WOTUS) rule from implementation in 13 states.
Just a day before the WOTUS rule was set to go into effect, North Dakota District Court Judge Ralph Erickson issued a preliminary injunction to stop the WOTUS rule in North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and New Mexico.
"This is great news for parts of agriculture and rural America," said Roberts. "I have been opposed to this ridiculous rule from its inception. The WOTUS rule is nothing but a land grab under the guise of the Clean Water Act, and I'll continue to keep fighting the good fight to push back against EPA's federal overreach."
The WOTUS rule, which expands federal jurisdiction over land and waterways, has received considerable criticism from a variety of industries -- including agriculture. Kansas' lawsuit was filed with several other states in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, which denied the plea. Multiple rulings undoubtedly leads to added confusion for landowners and farmers and ranchers.
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the WOTUS rule in March. Roberts introduced legislation in April to stop implementation of the WOTUS rule, which was approved by the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and is now waiting on the Senate floor