The Environmental Protection Agency is repealing an Obama ruling that expanded the definition of the “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced that not only was the 2015 rule being repealed, but that the long-standing regulations that existed prior to the 2015 rule would be restored. “This final rule reestablishes national consistency across the country,” says R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. The repeal is considered a Step 1 action; the Step 2 action will include a new definition that will “provide greater regulatory certainty for farmers, landowners, home builders, and developers nationwide,” says EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
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