Gov. Fallin Calls on EPA and Corps of Engineers to Withdraw Waters of the United States Proposal

Nov 15 - Targeted News Service

Gov. Mary Fallin , R- Okla. , issued the following news release:

Governor Mary Fallin today called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to withdraw their current proposal to change the definition of "Waters of the United States " (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act.

Fallin said the new proposal, which places more water and land under the jurisdiction and regulation of the federal government, amounts to a power grab that will hurt state economies and destroy jobs.

The EPA and Corps proposal will expand federal jurisdiction of navigable waters nationwide and will require additional permitting for development in areas near water bodies.

"The EPA and the Corps are imposing an additional layer of bureaucracy instead of providing common sense and clarity in the WOTUS proposal," said Fallin. "This proposal is confusing and is going to delay development of critical infrastructure. It also makes development rights of Oklahomans more ambiguous and will have a negative impact on our economy. Since EPA and the Corps failed to provide meaningful consultation during development of the proposed rule with the states or the regulated community they have developed an unworkable solution that must be withdrawn."

Fallin said that Oklahoma had already taken successful steps to voluntarily improve water quality, and that state-lead efforts should replace one-size-fits-all federal solutions as the model for conservation policy.

" Oklahoma has a long history of protecting our valuable water resources. Steps taken through voluntary partnerships have been nationally recognized for improvements in water quality and should be a model for how water quality challenges should be handled" said Fallin. "This action taken by the EPA and Corps will not produce any improvements in water quality and will be a setback for the programs that Oklahoma has successfully used to improve our rivers, streams and lakes."

Governor Fallin filed these comments today with the EPA and Corps . A copy of the letter can be found here ( http://www.ok.gov/governor/documents/Governor%20Fallin%20WOTUS%20Comments%20to%20EPA.pdf ).

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