Statement to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Opposing the Biden Administration’s WOTUS Rule

ARTBA submitted a statement to the to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment sharing stakeholder perspectives on the impacts of the Biden administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. The statement noted:

• The rule marks the third time in the past seven years the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have redefined the federal jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
• ARTBA’s principal concern with this series of rule changes has been roadside ditches, which our members commonly deploy to ensure safety and environmental compliance on transportation construction projects. Overreaching or uncertainty in their jurisdiction can trigger federal permitting requirements, potentially delaying or even interrupting these projects (while also likely increasing their costs).
• ARTBA supports the joint resolution introduced by T&I Committee Chairman Graves and Subcommittee Chairman Rouzer that would rescind the recent WOTUS rule and restore clarity to the federal permitting process for transportation construction projects.