Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune yesterday joined a number of his Western colleagues in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urging them not to advance the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) through either chamber. The bill would extend the authority of the 1972 Clean Water Act to all inland waters, not just those classified as “navigable.”
“This flawed bill represents a major extension of federal power over all waters in the United States,” said Thune. “Strict federal regulation over inland waters will hinder the abilities of local communities, private businesses, and agriculture producers to use resources to create jobs and spur economic development. This bill would be bad for South Dakota and would devastate our agriculture economy. I am pleased to join my colleagues in urging the leaders of both the Senate and the House not to bring it to the floor for consideration.”
The letter specifies concerns about the legislation’s impact on the cost of irrigating crops, providing water to cities, and operating and maintaining water storage and delivery facilities.
“This flawed bill represents a major extension of federal power over all waters in the United States,” said Thune. “Strict federal regulation over inland waters will hinder the abilities of local communities, private businesses, and agriculture producers to use resources to create jobs and spur economic development. This bill would be bad for South Dakota and would devastate our agriculture economy. I am pleased to join my colleagues in urging the leaders of both the Senate and the House not to bring it to the floor for consideration.”
The letter specifies concerns about the legislation’s impact on the cost of irrigating crops, providing water to cities, and operating and maintaining water storage and delivery facilities.
