3:06pm: Hotline with Dave Weekley

Morrisey holds open house on fighting WOTUS rule

WINFIELD, W.Va. — Warning of EPA overreach, State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey held an open house meeting Tuesday night to highlight opposition to the Waters of the United States Rule.

The new rule, known as WOTUS, gives the EPA regulation over any moving body of water as a stream, even those on private property. Morrisey staged the meeting at the Putnam County Courthouse, aligning with other critics of the rule.

“This is an issue that represents quintessential federal overreach,” Morrisey said. “But we want to hear the stories coming from the contractors, from the home builders, from the realtors, from business and industry and of course, from the farmers.”

Ron Foster, the president of Foster Supply in Kanawha County, said the law could have a huge impact on the construction industry.

“What traditionally was never considered a stream is now being considered a stream,” he said. “What they do is, if you fill that particular area, they’ll place a big fine on you. And you’ll have to do mitigation, which is extremely expensive.”

Fines can reach up to $37,500 a day, Morrisey said, who warned residents may not even know that this rule could affect their property.

“Property owners may not even know whether their property is now under federal jurisdiction,” he said. “That’s a big deal because if you are under federal jurisdiction, you’ll be required to go get a clean water act permit.”

Morrisey said opponents to the rule have received bipartisan support in nine states, and soon will be adding Indiana as a 10th.

“Farmers are keenly interested in the resolution of this rule. Home builders care passionately about it. Oil and natural gas; retailers. And in fact, individuals who care about public works projects and don’t want to see those projects delayed for a period of time.”

According to EPA’s website, the rule “ensures that waters protected under the Clean Water Act are more precisely defined, more predictably determined, and easier for businesses and industry to understand.”





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