Fischer Welcomes Latest Step in WOTUS Withdrawal Process

Press Release

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is taking further action to undo the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

"Today's announcement from the administration signals another important step toward full removal of the harmful WOTUS rule. All Nebraskans would have been affected by the far-reaching consequences of this misguided policy. I will continue to monitor the WOTUS withdrawal process to help ensure we see common-sense rulemaking that puts Nebraskans in charge of the decisions involving our state's water resources."

Today, the EPA announced that the Obama administration's WOTUS rule was removed from the Code of Federal Regulations. Doing so opens a public comment period after which the agency will review and respond to substantive comments regarding the withdrawal of the rule. This announcement signifies that the EPA is following through on President Trump's executive order to roll back the WOTUS rule completely.

Earlier this year, Senator Fischer and Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced a resolution that expressed the need to vacate the Obama administration's WOTUS rule. The resolution signified the senators' intent to continue working with the Trump administration to scrap the harmful rule altogether. She's also sponsored other legislative proposals to stop the rule.

In March 2015, Senator Fischer chaired a field hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in Lincoln, Nebraska, to hear firsthand from Nebraskans about the effects of WOTUS.

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