Cramer talks next steps for water supply rule with Army Corps officials at EPW Water Hearing

U.S. Senator and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Chairman Kevin Cramer (R-ND) discussed the proposed Water Supply Rule with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials during an EPW hearing today. The Secretary of the Army and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) last month stopped the rule from being finalized at the request of Senator Cramer and a bipartisan group of senators in order to better integrate input from stakeholders.

“This delay is a win, and I want to reiterate my thanks for putting it on hold. It is unfortunate I had to bring this issue all the way to Army Secretary McCarthy. For nearly three years, we made our opposition clear; yet it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Clearly the Corps needs more effective oversight,” said Senator Cramer. “The proposed Water Supply Rule- as currently written- would interfere with state laws and regulations governing the management, allocation, and protection of water resources. Moving forward, it is even more important we get this right in the long run.”

Senator Cramer pressed the Army’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Ryan Fisher on following the Supreme Court, which decided water supply proposals must defer to state water laws. The Deputy Assistant Secretary agreed the current one-size-fits-all approach does not abide by that standard.

The Senator also mentioned his discussions about the ACE and WOTUS rules- both of which respect state sovereignty- with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler during his recent trip to North Dakota and urged the USACE to follow similar cooperative federalism principals as the Water Supply Rule is finalized.