Sen. Cramer on EPA issuing final repeal of 2015 WOTUS Rule

U.S. Senator and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee member Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcing they will finalize a rule to repeal the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule today: 

“The Obama-era WOTUS rule was unlawful and an unconstitutional power grab that did nothing to advance good water management, and I applaud Administrator Wheeler for fulfilling President Trump’s promise to repeal it. Today’s action eliminates the inconsistent patchwork of implementation and paves the way for the Administration to complete its much-needed final rule. I look forward to continuing to work with them on a replacement that is legally sound and puts states back in the driver’s seat.”

As Chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, Senator Cramer convened a hearing on WOTUS earlier this year. The committee heard from North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, who joined Senator Cramer in stressing the need for a definitive ruling on WOTUS and urging the Administration to adopt a viewpoint of cooperative federalism.