DES MOINES, IOWA (April 11, 2019) — The EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a rule change to the “Waters of the US” definition that threatens the Clean Water Act.

The “Waters of the US” Rule defines which waters are under federal-jurisdiction through the Clean Water Act. The proposed changes to the Rule would remove several types of water-bodies, such as interstate-waters and wet-lands and ephemeral or intermittent streams, water-bodies that occur following heavy rains or flow seasonally, from federal jurisdiction.

As currently proposed, these rule-changes would remove wet-lands from federal jurisdiction. Wet-lands help improve water-quality and manage nutrient-pollution by acting as natural sponges/filters. It is estimated that approximately 85-90% of Iowa’s native wet-lands have already been drained. Iowans cannot afford to weaken protections on our valuable remaining wet-lands.

Comments on the proposed rulemaking are due by April 15, 2019.

The Mississippi River Network has created a sample public comment letter that you can copy to personalize and mail.

Ways to submit comments independently:

Online Comments (preferred): visit regulations.gov to submit online comments.

Email: OW-Docket@epa.gov.

Mail: To submit comments by mail, please send comments to:

US Environmental Protection Agency EPA Docket Center, Office of Water Docket Mail Code 28221T 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20460

All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. for this rulemaking (EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149).

Sincerely,

Cindy Lane                                                  Water Program Director

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