EPA Administrator Zeldin on WOTUS: “We believe it’s easy to have a simple definition”

It has been a busy week on Capitol Hill. At a House Subcommittee Hearing, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin faced questions about how the agency plans to clarify the definition of Waters of the U.S. in light of the Supreme Court’s Sackett ruling.

“Our goal is that any of your farmers, ranchers, landowners are able to look at water on their property and they are able to determine on their own whether or not that is water of the United States that’s going to be regulated by the federal government. They should not have to go out and hire some lawyer or some consultant to be able to tell them whether or not that waterway is a water of the U.S. We want to do it that is durable, where no matter what would happen in a presidential election in the future, that the definition doesn’t have to change again. We believe that it’s very easy to have a simple, straightforward, prescriptive definition of waters of the United States.”

Related Stories
Policy awareness is becoming part of everyday risk management.
NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart breaks down CAFO permits, EPA enforcement, and what cattle producers need to know as rules continue to evolve.
Roger McEowen, with the Washburn School of Law, offers an in-depth look at two of the top legal issues of 202. Today, he walks through last year’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) ruling and “lawfare.”
More than 1,100 residents and farmers have signed a letter urging Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to step in, saying the proposal threatens irrigation supplies and long-term farm viability in the region.
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Brian Earnest, an animal protein economist with CoBank, shares insights into current demand trends and the challenges facing broiler production.
Jack Hubbard, with the Center for the Environment and Welfare, shares context and perspective on the controversial letter about Prop 12 circulating in Washington and how a review shows it misled the public.
AFBF Economist Faith Parum discusses the financial challenges currently facing farmers and the Farm Bureau’s 2026 outlook for the farm economy.
From tariff talks in Europe to SCOTUS uncertainty and rising farm losses, analysts say policy and global supply will shape grain markets in the year ahead.
Ethanol and corn groups are not hiding their disappointment over new reports that the bill to allow year-round E15 sales failed as Congress forges ahead on government funding, with another shutdown looming.
While row crops are expected to see softer impacts, analysts say severe weather of this magnitude will not be as kind to cattle producers.