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Repeal Of WOTUS Rule Finalized

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The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers has announced they have finalized the repeal of the controversial WOTUS Rule. This move will provide much-needed and long-awaited regulatory certainty for landowners nationwide. The revocation of the rule was announced via Facebook Live by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, R.D. James, in Washington, D.C.

“Repealing the rule is a major win for American agriculture,” noted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, in remarks he made at the presentation. “Farmers and ranchers are exceptional stewards of the land, taking great care to preserve it for generations to come. President Trump is making good on his promise to reduce burdensome regulations to free our producers,” he added.

According to the EPA news release, the 2015 rule:

  • Did not implement the legal limits on the scope of the agencies’ authority under the Clean Water Act as intended by Congress and reflected in Supreme Court cases.
  • Failed to adequately recognize, preserve, and protect the primary responsibilities and rights of states to manage their own land and water resources.
  • Approached the limits of the agencies’ constitutional and statutory authority absent a clear statement from Congress.
  • Suffered from certain procedural errors and a lack of adequate record support as it relates to the 2015 Rule’s distance-based limitations.

“With this final repeal, the agencies will implement the pre-2015 regulations, which are currently in place in more than half of the states, informed by applicable agency guidance documents and consistent with Supreme Court decisions and longstanding agency practice,” the news release stated.

The REALTORS® Land Institute and National Association of REALTORS® has been a strong supporter of the review and repeal of the WOTUS Rule, as laid out by President Trump’s Executive Order, to ensure that both private property rights and clean waterways are protected.

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WOTUS Rule Sees Revival in Twenty-six States

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The controversial Waters of the US (WOTUS) Rule is being re-implemented in 26 states after a federal judge’s ruling that the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers improperly suspended it. “U.S. District Judge David Norton in South Carolina agreed with environmental groups that the agencies failed to follow the public-comment requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act in implementing a suspension rule this year that was intended to delay enforcement of the 2015 rule. The APA requires agencies to take public comment on regulatory actions before implementing them,” stated a recent article on AgWeek.

The REALTORS® Land Institute and National Association of REALTORS® support the review of the WOTUS rule as laid out by President Trump’s Executive Order to ensure that both private property rights and clean waterways are protected.

States Under Jurisdiction of WOTUS as of 9.20.2018

This image represents the most current information available as of September 20, 2018.

Two-Year Delay on WOTUS Rule Proposed

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November 21 – In an effort to further ensure the implementation of the 2015 Clean Water Act, also known as Waters of the US (WOTUS Rule), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have proposed delaying the rule until 2020. “Contrary to prior Supreme Court decisions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to “clarify” which water bodies are ‘U.S. waters’ and therefore subject to Clean Water Act regulations,” reads the National Association of REALTORS® website.

According to the agencies, postponing the WOTUS Rule will provide regulatory certainty while the agencies finish the process of repealing and replacing the WOTUS rule, which is currently underway. See our July 27, 2017 blog post for a more detailed explanation of the repeal and replacement process. The EPA and Corps will accept comments for up to 21 days after publication in the Federal Register. Read more.

See what other legislative issues are on the REALTORS® Land Institute’s radar on their Advocacy page.

Proposal Released to Rescind the WOTUS Rule

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“Fulfilling a portion of an executive order by President Donald Trump, the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have released a proposal to rescind the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule that expanded federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.

The proposal published in the Federal Register on Thursday, July 28 would nix the 2015 WOTUS rule and reinstate the definition of the streams and wetlands subject to federal oversight under the act that existed prior to its finalization.” Read more from the NAR article.

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Repeal of WOTUS Rule Moves Forward

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June 28, 2017 (Chicago, Ill.) – The Realtors Land Institute (RLI) stands behind the U.S. EPA’s decision yesterday to move forward repealing the controversial Clean Water rule, also known as Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), which was put in place in 2015. The move would take the legislation back to what it was prior to 2015 while the agencies involved reevaluate the definition of what constitutes as ‘Waters of the U.S’.

All of this follows President Donald Trump’s executive order on February 28, 2017, which called upon the EPA to review the rule. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt stated that the intent of the review is to “[Take] significant action to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to our nation’s farmers and businesses.”

The Realtors Land Institute has long advocated that withdrawing WOTUS would have a beneficial impact on the real estate sector, especially land real estate. The organization hopes to see the review of the rule eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming permits on waters that were previously unregulated by the federal government.

“RLI looks forward to working with the Administration, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, as they move forward to develop common-sense solutions to protecting our nation’s water resources while balancing the interests of land real estate and communities nationwide,” said Brandon Rogillio, ALC, 2017 Realtors Land Institute National President.

Learn more about this issue and other legislative issues important to land real estate owners and agents on the Realtors Land Institute’s Advocacy page.

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About the REALTORS® Land Institute
The Realtors Land Institute, “The Voice of Land,” continually strives to maintain its status as the acknowledged leader for all matters pertaining to the land real estate profession. RLI endeavors to remain the essential membership organization for the extraordinary real estate professionals who broker, lease, sell, develop, and manage our most precious resource: the land. The Realtors Land Institute, provides the expertise, camaraderie, and valuable resources that are the foundation for all land real estate professionals to become the best in the business. For more information, visit rliland.com or call 800.441.5263.

Senate GOP seeks swift action against ‘ominous’ regulation

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Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today released a 38-page report accusing U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers of advancing “very broad claims of jurisdiction” in Clean Water Act disputes.  The report also warned that a recent Supreme Court win for landowners in a case about who can challenge certain decisions about water permits in court could become “moot” if Congress does not act to withdraw the Clean Water Rule.

The Obama administration’s rule, also known as Waters of the United States, defines which waterways and wetlands receive automatic protections under the Clean Water Act. In October, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the rule on hold nationwide while litigation plays out .  Republican members on the EPW Committee and foes of the rule have previously accused EPA and the corps of flouting the court’s order by asserting broad jurisdiction over the nation’s waterways.

The report argues that the agencies are taking a narrow view of exemptions for farming, highlighting several case studies of jurisdictional battles taking place across the country.

“The reach of federal authority claimed by EPA and the Corps is, in the words of Justice Kennedy, ‘ominous,'” the majority’s report says. “That ominous authority would be codified in the WOTUS rule. As a result, if that rule goes into effect, the hard-won right to challenge Corps jurisdictional determinations will become meaningless.”

US Army Corps of Engineers Proposes New and Revised Nationwide Permits

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Two new and fifty revised Nationwide Permits have been submitted by the US Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The National Association of REALTORS® stated that “The two new permits authorize impacts related to the removal of low-head dams and construction and maintenance of living shorelines for shore erosion control. The permit revisions affect a variety of activities, including residential, commercial, and industrial development; flood control; storm water management; mining; and agriculture and aquaculture”.  Read more.