Senators Vote To Repeal Clean Water Rule That Protects Millions Of Miles Of Streams
I renew my call to make all who voted against clean water only drink water from near coal mines & fracking wells, and downstream from chemical storage sites and factory farms.
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ThinkProgress
Senators Vote To Repeal Clean Water Rule That Protects Millions Of Miles Of Streams
On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works committee voted 11-9 to pass a bill that would effectively repeal the administration’s recently announced regulations for water pollution. The vote was split cleanly among party lines, with only Republicans supporting it.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), would nullify the Waters of the United States Rule, released in late May, and set specific guidelines that the EPA must follow in re-writing the rule.
As it stands, the rule seeks to clarify the bodies of water that can be regulated under the Clean Water Act. In its current form, the Waters of the United States Rule, also known as the Clean Water Rule, restores protections for navigable waterways and their tributaries, and protects bodies of water that are located next to rivers and lakes.
The EPA argues that the Clean Water Rule only protects waters that have historically been protected under the Clean Water Act, and does not require a new permitting process for agriculture.
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Opponents of the rule, however, claim that it extends far beyond the EPA’s historic jurisdiction and into controlling state or privately-owned waters. They also say it could adversely impact farmers and industry. According to the Hill, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the committee, said that farmers in Oklahoma are more concerned about the Clean Water Rule than any other federal policy.
Barrasso’s bill is co-sponsored by a handful of Senate Democrats, including Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Joe Manchin (D-WV). The bill sets guidelines for specific bodies of water that cannot be regulated — like isolated ponds — and requires that the EPA consult with state and local governments as well as private companies before rewriting the rule, according to the Hill.
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http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/10/3668258/senate-committee-votes-to-block-epa-water-bill/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tptop3&elqTrack=true&elqTrackId=438dac7781be4a4e9dac971a632fe9f3&elqaid=25839&elqat=1
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