Posted on 06/27/2011 3:23:26 PM PDT by EBH
U.S. EPA warned of the potential dire consequences of legislation being fast-tracked through the House that would give states final say on rules concerning water, wetlands and mountaintop-removal mining.
In a four-page legal analysis (pdf), EPA said the measure (H.R. 2018 (pdf)) sponsored by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) and ranking member Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) "would overturn almost 40 years of federal legislation by preventing EPA from protecting public health and water quality."
GOP House leaders expect to bring the bill to a floor vote this summer.
EPA said the Mica-Rahall bill would "significantly undermine" the agency's role of overseeing states' establishment and enforcement of water pollution limits and permits. It said the measure would hinder EPA's ability to intervene on behalf of downstream states harmed by pollution coming from a state upstream. And it said the bill would prevent EPA from protecting local communities from ill-conceived mountaintop-removal and similar projects allowed to go forward under Army Corps of Engineers-issued permits.
"This would fundamentally disrupt the balance established by the original [Clean Water Act] in 1972 -- a law that carefully constructed complementary roles for EPA, the Corps, and states," the analysis said.
...At its core, the bill would prevent EPA from reversing or overruling previously issued approval of state water quality limits, permitting authority, or permits to dredge and fill waterways or wetlands.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
EPA should’ve been thinking of this when they started getting anal.
Greetings EBH:
Who would notice? Every state as an EPA, and the waterways between states already fall under USCG jurisdiction.
Cheers,
OLA
Werks fer me.
git er done.
Balance??????? Haven't seen much of that.
Go for it!
Since they can’t play nice...defang ‘em.
If I had my way, there would be two jobs for any EPA employee. The first job, for the ‘star’ performers would be to sort out plastics, paper, aluminum cans, etc from the trash at the countless land fills in this country. For the upper management, they would be sifting through the effluent from the countless waste water treatment plants and plucking the used prophylactics and other sanitary products from the treatment flow. That’s all they’re good for.
Keep it warm for 2012. Obama will veto of course, but the incoming Republican better sign it.
De-fund that bunch of power crazed Lefties pushing EPA Nazi Edict and sell off ,that agency’s property while you are at it.
YES! About time for this and many more like it.
We just took a major hit in our jurisdiction from the EPA at a regional water level.
Why do you say that like its a bad thing?
But it MAY stop the EPA from taking control of every molecule of water on, in or under the ground.
EPA budget cuts put states in bind
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/environment/epa-budget-cuts-put-states-in-bind/2011/06/08/AGbVpYdH_story.html
First executive order of any incoming Republican President - dismantle the EPA.
Its constitutional authority is questionable to begin with, and they have arrogated power to themselves that is far in excess of what any regulatory agency should possess.
The free market is entirely and eminently well equipped, and has sufficient motive, to provide for the environment all by itself, thank you, and needs no staff of bureaucrats to stand over and dictate policy, which can change with the whim of one pressure group or another.
EPA should go, if for no other reason than they have declared carbon dioxide to be a “pollutant”, an example of spectacularly bad “scientific” reasoning.
EPA should be disbanded. The bill is a start in the right direction.
GOOD! It's about time!! The EPA has become zero's own rogue agency!
This just amounts to delegating authority. The states are just as stupid as the EPA and the Feds will find another way to git ya.
EPA budget cuts put states in bind
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/environment/epa-budget-cuts-put-states-in-bind/2011/06/08/AGbVpYdH_story.html
Unreal, thanks for the link.
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