WASHINGTON D.C. (Texas Insider Report) As part of the ongoing effort to halt EPA regulatory overreach the House passed a bill today that would prevent the agency and the Army Corps of Engineers from greatly expanding federal jurisdiction and waters covered under the Clean Water Act. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) is an original co-sponsor of the measure aimed at protecting farmers ranchers businesses and landowners from further federal restrictions on their private property. The Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act (H.R. 5078) was approved by a bipartisan vote of 262 to 152.
Personal property and water rights are fundamental to the American way of life a familys business and many peoples livelihoods" said Thornberry. No landowner should have to worry whether the federal government will get in the way of their business because of the bar ditch behind their house. That is why our bill to restrict the power of the EPA and ensure a transparent regulatory process is so important" he continued.
In March 2014 the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposed a rule that would expand regulation of the agriculture community businesses and other landowners under the Clean Water Act. According to the rule only 56 specified activities would receive exemption from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act leaving in question the status of all other activities being subject to further EPA regulation. Many of the activities in question are normal functions of daily farming and ranching routines. In order to protect business H.R. 5078 would invalidate the rule as well as prohibit the EPA from exerting more federal control over waters in the United States.
The bill also requires the EPA and the Corps to seek state and local officials recommendations in developing regulatory proposals in the future. The Secretary of the Army and Administrator of the EPA must submit a report to Congress defining the waters under federal and state jurisdiction according to the recommendations from state and local officials.
Concerned that the federal government and the EPA was getting more and more aggressive in its attempts to expand its authority Congressman Thornberry has been working on a number of measures to restrict federal overreach. In 2013 he introduced a bill (H.R. 3377) to explicitly clarify that the waters subject to federal control must be in fact navigable" i.e. a river ocean or lake. The bill also prohibited the EPA and Corps from defining what is navigable water" without Congressional authorization and protected the rights of states to have the primary authority over the land within their borders. The bill already has more than 30 co-sponsors in the House. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a Senate version of the bill in May 2013.
WASHINGTON D.C. (Texas Insider Report) As part of the ongoing effort to halt EPA regulatory overreach the House passed a bill today that would prevent the agency and the Army Corps of Engineers from greatly expanding federal jurisdiction and waters covered under the Clean Water Act. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) is an original co-sponsor of the measure aimed at protecting farmers ranchers businesses and landowners from further federal restrictions on their private property. The Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act (H.R. 5078) was approved by a bipartisan vote of 262 to 152.
Personal property and water rights are fundamental to the American way of life a familys business and many peoples livelihoods" said Thornberry. No landowner should have to worry whether the federal government will get in the way of their business because of the bar ditch behind their house. That is why our bill to restrict the power of the EPA and ensure a transparent regulatory process is so important" he continued.
In March 2014 the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposed a rule that would expand regulation of the agriculture community businesses and other landowners under the Clean Water Act. According to the rule only 56 specified activities would receive exemption from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act leaving in question the status of all other activities being subject to further EPA regulation. Many of the activities in question are normal functions of daily farming and ranching routines. In order to protect business H.R. 5078 would invalidate the rule as well as prohibit the EPA from exerting more federal control over waters in the United States.
The bill also requires the EPA and the Corps to seek state and local officials recommendations in developing regulatory proposals in the future. The Secretary of the Army and Administrator of the EPA must submit a report to Congress defining the waters under federal and state jurisdiction according to the recommendations from state and local officials.
Concerned that the federal government and the EPA was getting more and more aggressive in its attempts to expand its authority Congressman Thornberry has been working on a number of measures to restrict federal overreach. In 2013 he introduced a bill (H.R. 3377) to explicitly clarify that the waters subject to federal control must be in fact navigable" i.e. a river ocean or lake. The bill also prohibited the EPA and Corps from defining what is navigable water" without Congressional authorization and protected the rights of states to have the primary authority over the land within their borders. The bill already has more than 30 co-sponsors in the House. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a Senate version of the bill in May 2013.
