Costa Urges EPA and Army Corps to Reassess WOTUS Rule

Fresno, CA – Today, Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed S.J.Res. 22.

“Maintaining water quality is a fundamental responsibility of the United States government, and the farmers in the Central Valley who grow half the nation’s fruits and vegetables know better than anyone that clean, quality water is essential to the future of this country,” said Rep. Costa. “The process that led to the expansion of jurisdiction of the WOTUS rule was flawed and will impact industries that are vital to our Central Valley economy. That is why I applaud the passage of today’s joint resolution which disapproves the ruling made by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and it is my hope that those agencies reassess and review the rule in a way that is rational, scientifically based, and causes minimal impact to our economic interests.”

S. J. Res. 22 is a joint resolution providing for Congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act.