House Committee Passes Bill to Halt Waters of the U.S. Rule

Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed The Regulatory Integrity Protection Act (H.R. 1732) by a bipartisan vote 36-22. Specifically, HR 1732 directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers to prepare a new rule and to work closely with states and small businesses to further examine the impacts of EPA’s proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The bill also mandates that a comprehensive economic analysis be conducted to fully study the rules economic impact. An amendment to the bill proposed by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) highlights the state’s authority to manage and operate its own water resources and was passed unanimously by the committee. The WOTUS rule was proposed last year and has been one of the most highly contentious rules from the Obama Administration in recent years. Floor time for the bill has yet to be determined by the full House of Representatives.

NRMCA is concerned about how expansion of federal jurisdiction over marginal waters would place an undue burden on ready mixed concrete operations, aggregate operations and new construction starts.