Lincoln Chafee: “EPA has used its 404(c) authority only 12 times in the history of the Clean Water Act. It is hardly a waste of…”

“EPA has used its 404(c) authority only 12 times in the history of the Clean Water Act. It is hardly a waste of Government resources. Moreover, these veto actions, although infrequent, have protected almost 7,300 acres of wetlands, including some of the Nation's most valuable wetlands in the Florida Everglades and near the lower Platte River. Aside from the fact that this rider is unsound policy, the appropriations process simply is not the proper context to raise complex legislative issues such as EPA's role in the Federal Wetlands Program. Rather, the appropriate forum for such issues is the ongoing Clean Water reauthorization process. The Committee on Environment and Public Works has held four hearings on section 404, and two additional hearings on Clean Water Act reauthorization. In fact, the committee conducted a hearing on wetlands mitigation banking just last week. I have been working closely with Senator Faircloth, who is chairman of the relevant subcommittee, and other members of the committee, to achieve meaningful reform of the Federal Wetland Program. Although I do not intend to offer an amendment, I strongly urge the committee members to drop this controversial provision from the appropriations bill.”