Rounds Statement on WOTUS Final Rule

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, made the following statement on the administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) final rule, which was announced today. Last month, Rounds joined his colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to curb the effects of WOTUS.

“The WOTUS rule is a broad expansion of federal jurisdiction that infringes on private landowners’ rights throughout South Dakota,” said Rounds. “It goes far beyond what congress intended to be a traditional waterway under which EPA has regulatory oversight. Farmers and ranchers are rightly concerned about the compliance costs this misguided rule could have on their operations.”

“This underscores the need for a formal process to rein in overzealous regulators to make sure the rules are following congressional intent.  It is yet another example of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats overstepping their boundaries and stretching the law – leaving the American people to suffer with the consequences. My RESTORE resolution, which I introduced last week, would lead to a permanent solution to this regulation without representation.”

More information about RESTORE is available here.