Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee member, issued the following statement on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan announcing today the Biden Administration will repeal the Trump Administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation known as the Navigable Waters Protection Rule:
“North Dakota, which sits in the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region, is greatly impacted by Waters of the United States regulations. It’s a shame the Biden Administration wants to undo the good work of the Trump Administration, which repealed the illegal Obama-era rule and replaced it with a workable policy that falls within the confines of the law. Fortunately, North Dakota is well-positioned in the event of overreach thanks to the leadership of our Attorney General, Wayne Stenehjem. I appreciate the recent visit by Administrator Regan where this issue was discussed; and the commitment of Radhika Fox, EPA’s head of water policy, to hold a Waters of the United States listening session in our state to hear from our stakeholders. I look forward to facilitating that opportunity for North Dakotans so they can voice their concerns and priorities to the Administration.”
As the EPW Subcommittee Chairman with jurisdiction on water issues last Congress, Senator Cramer oversaw the crafting of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, convening a hearing in 2019 – which included testimony from North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring – to highlight the problems of the Obama Administration’s WOTUS rule and to outline the principles a new rule should follow. In September 2020, the senator hosted then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in North Dakota to discuss this issue at a roundtable with stakeholders and local leaders.
After President Biden was sworn in, he signed an Executive Order requiring a review of multiple rules established under the Trump Administration, including WOTUS. Senator Cramer and his colleagues then urged the Administration to keep the Trump-era rule in place. The senator has used his seat on EPW to press officials on this issue, hosting EPA Administrator Regan for a listening session in Bismarck which included a discussion on WOTUS and securing a commitment from the nominee to be the Assistant EPA Administrator for Water to hold a WOTUS listening session in North Dakota if she is confirmed.