Washington, DC– Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1) voted today to protect West Virginia farmers, businesses, and workers from the Environmental Protection Agency’s disastrous Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.  This latest overreach from the Obama Administration would give the EPA authority to regulate small ditches and puddles while placing excessive burdens on family farms and other businesses.

“This rule is just the latest example of the EPA’s blatant overreach,” said McKinley. “From farmland to coal mines, the EPA wants more control. Giving the federal government the authority to regulate ‘bodies of water’ that are nothing more than drainage ditches will only lead to more bureaucratic bullying, excessive burdens, and fewer jobs.”

H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015, would stop the EPA’s proposed Water of the United States (WOTUS) rule and require the agency to work with states and local stakeholders to come up with a reasonable solution that does not unfairly harm farmers and landowners.

“I’ve visited West Virginia farms and seen what the EPA wants to regulate. These ditches and puddles only have water when it rains,” said McKinley. “This is nothing more than an excuse for the EPA to expand its control over the lives of everyday West Virginians. It defies common sense to punish farmers and homeowners for something Mother Nature controls.”

This legislation is supported by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as local farm groups across the country. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in an open letter, said, “Our members overwhelmingly oppose [EPA’s] rule. It is a bad rule for farmers.”

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