Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, my amendment would simply strike section 105. As it stands, section 105 would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing its proposed regulation clarifying the limits of Federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. This language is not new. I understand we have seen it a number of times. The difference is that the conversation has since progressed, and almost everyone agrees that clarity is needed. Calls for the EPA to issue a rule even came from such notable organizations as the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Western Business Roundtable, and the National Association of Manufacturers. Prohibiting EPA from finalizing the rule, as section 105 would direct, would perpetuate this confusion, and there are countless cases that reiterate this point. For example, the EPA acknowledged enforcement difficulties in a case in which storm water from construction sites carried oil, grass, grease, and other pollutants into tributaries to the San Pedro River, which is an internationally recognized river ecosystem supporting diverse wildlife but where the waters in question only flow for part of the year.…”