10.09.15

Sullivan Statement on Nationwide Stay of EPA’s WOTUS Rule

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, released the following statement regarding the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to issue a nationwide stay on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) flawed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule:

“I’m grateful that the court has halted this over-reaching jurisdictional expansion – known as the Waters of the U.S. rule,” said Senator Sullivan.  “This rule is a prime example of this Administration’s persistent disregard for the rule of law and yet another attempt to bypass Congress and the American people by granting the EPA vast new authority over lands across the country, particularly in Alaska, which is home to 60 percent of the nation’s jurisdictional waters.”

On August 27, 2015, a United States District Court Judge in North Dakota delayed implementation of the EPA’s expanded WOTUS rule for Alaska and 12 other states until ongoing litigation is fully decided.

Since arriving to the Senate in January of 2015, Senator Sullivan has worked aggressively, with a bipartisan group of colleagues in pushing back against this federal overreach.

February 4th: Senator Sullivan challenged Administrator McCarthy at a joint EPW/House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on where the EPA derives the legal authority to move forward with the WOTUS rule.

April 6th: Senator Sullivan, chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, held a field hearing in Anchorage, Alaska to examine the impacts of the proposed WOTUS rule on state and local governments and stakeholders.

April 8th: Senator Sullivan authors an ep-ed in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner on WOTUS.

April 8th: Senator Sullivan, chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, held a field hearing in Fairbanks, Alaska to examine the impacts of the proposed WOTUS rule on state and local governments and stakeholders.

April 30th: Senator Sullivan joined a bipartisan group of Senators, led by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Donnelly (D-ID), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Roberts (R-KS), in introducing S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, legislation that would force the EPA to withdraw the rule and start over.

May 19th:  Senator Sullivan chaired an EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife legislative hearing on S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, which would force the EPA to withdraw the rule and start over.

May 22nd: Senator Sullivan in addition to Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) sent a letter to EPA Administrator McCarthy to express concerns and demand answers regarding a recent New York Times article that reported that the EPA may have conducted an unprecedented, and possibly illegal lobbying and marketing effort on behalf of the controversial WOTUS rule.

September 17th: Senator Sullivan joins Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) along with 45 Senate colleagues in co-sponsors in introducing a joint resolution disapproving the WOTUS rule.

September 30th: Senator Sullivan chaired an EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife hearing on the “Oversight of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Participation in the Development of the New Regulatory Definition of “Waters of the United States.”