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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler today announced a final, new “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) regulation at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas that resolves years of uncertainty over where federal jurisdiction begins and ends.
“The Navigable Waters Protection Rule is a big win for states, municipalities, builders and developers, landowners and the American public,” Wheeler said in remarks to the NAHB Leadership Council. “It will make it easier to understand where the Clean Water Act applies and, as importantly, where it does not.”
The EPA chief also noted the new water rule is good for the economy and the environment.
“It will help business owners spend less money and time making decisions about whether their waters are waters of the United States and more time running their businesses and strengthening the nation’s economy,” Wheeler said. “Our Navigable Waters Protection Rule will continue to ensure America’s water protections — among the best in the world — remain strong, while giving states and tribes the flexibility and certainty to manage their waters in ways that best protect their natural resources and local communities.”
