Senator Kraus Issues Statement Applauding EPA’s Move to Rewrite ‘Waters of the United States’ Rule

“On Tuesday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers announced they will begin rolling back the Obama administration’s 2015 ‘Waters of the United States’ rule, which sought to expand federal regulation to include nearly every body of water, even small streams and ‘ponds’ formed after a heavy rain.

Had the WOTUS rule been allowed to go into effect, 99 percent of Missouri land would’ve been subjected to EPA regulation. And although a last-minute court ruling delayed it from taking effect, Missouri’s landowners and agricultural community have continued to face an enormous amount of regulatory uncertainty these last two years. Thankfully, Tuesday’s announcement means we’re finally heading in a new direction, one where environmental policy is guided by common sense and reason.

The Obama-era WOTUS rule is one of the greatest examples of federal government overreach we’ve seen in recent years, written with a reckless indifference to landowners and the agriculture industry. I applaud the new administration for not only recognizing the need to restore balance to our environmental regulations and return power back to the states, but also for taking decisive action. Thank you to everyone — from our elected officials to our hardworking farmers and ranchers — who made their voices heard and who fought to get the harmful, unrealistic WOTUS rule overturned.”