WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement regarding today’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that blocks the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from implementing the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule nationwide:
“Today’s decision by the court is a win for hardworking West Virginia families, small businesses, energy producers and others across the country who would be unfairly burdened by the onerous and deeply flawed WOTUS rule. The court’s decision confirms that WOTUS was the wrong approach to protecting our water resources and reinforces the need to rein in this administration’s unprecedented and overreaching regulations.”
Background:
Senator Capito has supported several measures to rein in the flawed WOTUS rule.
In April, Senator Capito helped introduce the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, an alternative approach to the WOTUS rule that would protect traditional navigable water from pollution while also protecting farmers, energy producers, small businesses and manufacturers. This bill passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in June.
Last month, Senator Capito cosponsored a joint resolution to nullify the harmful WOTUS rule. A copy of the full resolution is available here.
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