A bipartisan group of Senators introduced a Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) bill, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, S. 1140, which would protect traditional navigable waters of the U.S., reports the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA).
The bill, sponsored by Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., would direct the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the current WOTUS proposal and issue a revised rule that would exempt waters of concern to the aggregates industry. According to NSSGA, the bill outlines principals for the EPA and the Corps to consider when revising the rule.
“After working together for months, we’ve introduced a strong bipartisan bill that will protect America’s waterways – and America’s farmers, ranchers and landowners,” says Barrasso. “Our legislation gives the EPA the direction it needs to write a reasonable rule that will truly protect our ‘navigable waterways.’”
Click here to read the bill.
