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Rep. LaMalfa Statement on EPA’s Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach

May 27, 2015

Washington, DC – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) today released the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to finalize its "Waters of the United States." rule. The rule would expand the EPA's authority to man-made waterways, creeks which carry water only during storms, broadly-defined riparian areas, and even wet depressions in fields.

"I am disappointed that the EPA ignored bipartisan opposition, over one million public comments, and recent Congressional action to move forward with the massive regulatory overreach known as its ‘Waters of the United States' rule. Through this rule, the EPA is expanding its own jurisdiction into virtually every body of water in the nation, inserting itself into local land use decisions, limiting private property rights and increasing costs to farms across the nation.

"The rule's impact will be felt most acutely here in Northern California, where our vast number of streams, ditches, rivers, and seasonal creeks would mean that nearly our entire region would be under EPA jurisdiction. Furthermore, the subjective nature of the rule means that the EPA decides when the rule applies and when it doesn't. Congress never approved this rule, and no federal law authorizes the EPA's action. The only prudent course of action is to ensure that federal funding is stripped from this proposal and the EPA be reminded that Congress writes our nation's laws, not unelected bureaucrats."

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.

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Issues:Water