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Revised Definition of “Waters of the United States”

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May 22, 2023
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closed 2661d ago
League of Women Voters filings
5

Activity

League of Women Voters filed 5 comments on this docket between Apr 9, 2019 and May 8, 2019. 562 other organizations filed here. The comment window closed 2661d ago.

What League of Women Voters filed (5)

May 8, 2019· Comment submitted by League of Women Voters of Roselle-Bloomingdale, IL· EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-10430

Filed on regulations.gov — full text not in the inline record.

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Apr 25, 2019· Comment submitted by Anne Chartier, President, League of Women Voters (LWV), Ashland Bayfield Counties, Wisconsin· EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-5421

See attached file(s) for Comments Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149 April 15, 2019 Gentlefolk, Please accept our comments below regarding Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149. The stated intent of the proposed rule Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the `Waters of the United States' Rule is to clarify the definition of Waters of the United States to make the use of the Rule less confusing. However, this proposed Rule change does not enhance clarity, nor does the economic analysis demonstrate no impact on the benefits of water resources. The proposed Rule would rescind protection of many waterbodies currently protected under the Clean Water Act. Eliminating protection of these waters would jeopardize their physical, chemical, and biological integrity, and negatively impact the quality of our drinking water. The Clean Water Act was adopted in 1972 based on the best available science and over 1000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. Since then, the science of watersheds has further advanced to understand the connections within a watershed - connections among groundwater and ephemeral headwater streams, wetlands, inland lakes, and other waterbodies that do not connect directly to navigable waters but influence the physical, chemical, and biological integrity such waters. The waters to be eliminated from protection under the proposed Rule comprise an insignificant percentage of our nations land base, but contribute services to society far in excess of their geographic scope. For example, wetlands provide many economic and non-economic services that benefit human communities and wildlife. They store water during flooding, which reduces peak river flow and attenuates flood damage, and are a source of water during droughts. Wetlands clean agricultural and urban runoff water by trapping sediments, removing pathogens, and transforming harmful nitrates into innocuous nitrogen gas. They provide important fish and wildlife habitat for breeding, nesting, and feeding. Current science overwhelmingly supports the inclusion and protection of all wetlands, ephemeral headwater streams, prairie potholes, inland lakes, and other non-navigable and non-adjacent waters under the Clean Water Act. We all depend on the nations waters, and expect them to be clean and managed sustainably. We urge you to reject the proposed rule and support retention of the current definition, which is needed for us to achieve the Clean Water Acts objective to restore and maintain the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nations waters. Sincerely, Anne Chartier President, League of Women Voters Ashland Bayfield Counties, Wisconsin

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Apr 18, 2019· Comment submitted by Erin Grunze, Executive Director, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin (LWVWI)· EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-4621

Please see the attached document for the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin's opposition to the EPA's proposal to drastically weaken Clean Water Act protections.

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Apr 15, 2019· Comment submitted by Ellen Miller, President, League of Women Voters of Johnson County (Kansas)· EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-3997

The League of Women Voters of Johnson County (Kansas) does not agree with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of the Armys (Army) proposed revision of the water of the United States (WOTUS) as it will dramatically reduce the scope of streams and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. Taking this action will result in the EPA disregarding its own peer-reviewed scientific studies, jeopardizing sources of drinking water in our community. We base our argument against the WOTUS revision on the January 2015 EPA report (EPA/600/R-14/475F) Connectivity of Streams & Wetlands to Downstream Water: A Review and Synthesis of Scientific Evidence. Conclusion 4, Degrees and Determinants or Connectivity, on page ES-4 supports including ephemeral streams in the definition of WOTUS. We request that the EPA and Army defend why they are now changing the WOTUS definition since it will conflict with their prior supported evidence and result in polluting waters that are currently under their protection. Ellen Miller, President League of Women Voters of Johnson County (Kansas) 913-894-5232 ellen3147@gmail.com

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Apr 9, 2019· Comment submitted by Rebecca Newman, President, League of Women Voters of Orange Coast· EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-3345

The League of Women Voters of Orange Coast in Orange County CA urges the EPA to KEEP the 2015 WOTUS rule. We are particularly alarmed by the threat the proposed change represents to preservation of our wetlands. Many of our 215 members live on or near the coast and have long been active in protection and preservation activity in the wetlands of the Banning Ranch Conservancy, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, the wetlands of the Upper Newport Bay and similar areas. The League believes that it is vital to have policies which support water quality, that is essential to maintaining species populations and diversity. These policies include measures to protect lakes, estuaries, and wetlands. The proposed changes would have a drastic negative effect. Please keep the 2015 WOTUS rule in place. . Rebecca Newman, President,League of Women Voters of Orange Coast

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Abstract

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army (Army) are conducting a substantive re-evaluation and revision of the definition of “waters of the United States” in accordance with the February 2017 Executive Order.

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Co-filers (562)

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