From Fox News: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will announce Monday a revamp of the widely criticized Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule – a regulation that, in one case, left an Idaho couple facing potential fines of $33,000 per day for building a home on “soggy” ground.
WOTUS was drafted during the Nixon administration under the Clean Water Act to regulate and protect wetlands, more broadly define “navigable waters” and protect public health, before the Obama and Biden administrations extended its reach to where landowners feared the EPA could swoop in at any moment and usurp control of their lands.
“When it comes to the definition of ‘waters of the United States,’ EPA has an important responsibility to protect water resources while setting clear and practical rules of the road that accelerate economic growth and opportunity,” Zeldin said in a statement.
The Obama administration greatly broadened WOTUS’ definitions, before the Trump administration relented some of those new regulations – to which the Biden administration again greatly expanded federal jurisdiction over areas of land that could include ephemeral streams, and low-lying spots prone to naturally-collecting water that could be found to have a “significant nexus” to navigable water.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Monday, “Another victory for common sense! The Trump EPA just released a new proposed definition of “Waters of the United States” that, if finalized, would deliver the clarity farmers, ranchers, and landowners have been begging for. This definition follows the Supreme Court ruling in Sackett, advances cooperative federalism, and protects America’s waterways.”
Another victory for common sense! The Trump EPA just released a new proposed definition of “Waters of the United States” that, if finalized, would deliver the clarity farmers, ranchers, and landowners have been begging for. This definition follows the Supreme Court ruling in…
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) November 17, 2025
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