U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today urged the Biden administration to support Montana farmers and ranchers by maintaining the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). In a letter to top officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Daines highlighted concerns with the 2015 Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS) and demanded that the Biden administration answer important questions surrounding the vague process of revisiting the NWPR.
“We write to you today greatly dismayed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to remand the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), which finally provided certainty and relief for rural America. We are also discouraged by your recent actions taken to reopen the definition of the “waters of the United States.” These steps demonstrate a misguided and out of touch approach toward addressing the needs of local communities across the country. The NWPR was an immense step forward in rectifying the regulatory overreach that was attempted in 2015, and your agencies’ vague announcement and opaque process fails to ensure our communities will not – once again – be subject to further uncertainty and government overreach,” the letter states.
Read the full letter HERE.
Daines sent the letter with Senator Joni Ernst (IA), Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02).
Background:
Senator Daines has been a strong supporter of the NWPR and has often spoken out against the far-reaching, burdensome federal regulations imposed by WOTUS.
Two weeks ago, the Biden administration petitioned the court to remand NWPR back to the agency and simultaneously indicated they will be moving forward with revising the rule.
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Contact: Katherine McKeogh, Katie Schoettler