Help Stop EPA's
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015, on April 13, and the bill was voted favorably out of committee on April 15 (National Golf Day).H.R. 1732 would require the U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the regulatory “Waters of the United States” proposal within 30 days of enactment of the bill; set up a process for engaging state and local stakeholders in drafting a new rule; give the agencies three months to consult with state and local officials and other stakeholders, with the goal of reaching consensus on how to resolve the long-running confusion about which waters and wetlands are covered by the Clean Water Act; and require the agencies to issue a report that includes responses to each of the more than 1 million public comments on the rule and other documents that were part of its development.
The golf industry does not support the EPA or the Army Corps of Engineers expanding the jurisdictional reach of the federal CWA as proposed.
The proposed rule would bring nearly every river, stream, creek, wetland, pond, ditch and ephemeral (land that looks like a small stream during heavy rain but isn’t wet most of the time) in the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the CWA. Under the rule, all tributaries and adjacent waters, including adjacent wetlands, would be categorically subject to federal oversight, with no additional analysis required. Additionally, the EPA is proposing a sweeping “other waters” category that could include almost everything else.
Golf courses that have these waters on them or near them will likely be required to obtain costly, federal permits for any land management activities or land use decisions made.
Urge your U.S. Representative to vote YES on H.R. 1732 today through this action alert. The bill is supposed to go for a full vote on the House floor on April 30.
For help, contact Kaelyn Seymour, government relations specialist, at (800) 472-7878, ext. 3612.
