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
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins told RFD-TV’s Kirbe Schnoor what steps the Administration might take to alleviate water issues (i.e. enlarging dams, building more reservoirs).
RFD-TV Ag Law & Tax Expert Roger McEowen outlines the top ten agricultural law and taxation topics from 2024 that will impact farmers and ranchers the most in 2025.
Digital contracts are becoming more common for farmers and ranchers, which means some unique legal issues might arise. RFD-TV’s farm legal expert Roger McEowen briefly examines those.
In part seven of his blog series,"Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” agri-legal expert Roger McEowen covers the #1 issues, SCOTUS and defining a “Water of the United States.”

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Higher freight rates and potential service disruptions are key concerns for agriculture, which relies heavily on rail to move commodities.
Wyoming cowboy and Dusty Vaquero Days founder J.B. Zielke joins us to preview his upcoming event in Gillette and to highlight the festival’s celebration of cowboy culture through music and community events.
Members from across the state will gather for competitions, workshops and leadership opportunities.
DOJ and USDA investigate beef industry concentration, with Big Four packers under scrutiny and a major settlement announcement expected later this week.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor joins us to discuss the uncertain path for year-round E15 sales and the next steps as the issue heads toward a standalone House vote after it was stripped from the Farm Bill.
Nebraska cattle rancher Joe Van Newkirk joins us to discuss wildfire recovery in Nebraska’s Sandhills athe challenges ranchers face restoring basic infrastructure after the fire.