U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce issued this statement following a federal appellate court order in Ohio to grant a preliminary injunction that will temporarily block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) so-called Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS):
“Another week and another court ruling against one of this administration’s rules,” said Pearce. “I am glad to see that another federal court has put a hold on this dangerous, job-killing rule. By definition, the WOTUS rule threatens the livelihoods of farmers, ranchers, small business owners, as well as counties and local governments, who are already overregulated. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to follow the House’s lead and repeal it.”
WOTUS would allow waters traditionally off-limits to federal regulation – non-navigable ponds, streams and tributaries -- to be subjected to the dictates of the Environmental Protection Agency under a misapplication of the Clean Water Act. The Cincinnati-based U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision temporarily blocked the WOTUS rule from taking effect for 18 additional states -- in addition to 13 that had already obtained a temporary stay from a North Dakota federal judge in August.
The final WOTUS rule released in May spans 297 pages. On May 12, along with a bipartisan majority of his colleagues, Congressman Pearce voted to approve the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act (H.R. 1732) that would block the WOTUS rule. A similar bill is pending in the Senate -- the Federal Water Quality Protection Act (S. 1140).