EPA Finalizes Definition of Waters to be Covered under the Clean Water Act
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers finalized a redefinition of the “Waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act. The EPA did so without consulting stakeholders, including rural electric cooperatives. The EPA maintains that it is not required to consult stakeholders, or to conduct small business analysis under the Regulatory Flexibility Act before it can redefine the term. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) expressed disappointment with the decision of the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers. In a press release, NRECA stated that “cooperatives are very concerned that the significantly expanded definition would lead to a bureaucratic nightmare for the nation’s electric co-ops.” Click here to read more.
