Metro East Sun

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) applauded a recent move by the Trump administration to revoke the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, according to a press release.

The White House made the decision after testimony from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt.

“This is a huge win for farmers and rural communities in Illinois,” Shimkus said in the statement. “Congress never intended for EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to have jurisdiction over ditches, creeks and man-made ponds.”

According to a State Journal Register report on Pruitt’s testimony and the revocation, the rule sought to clarify how far the EPA’s authority extended under the Clean Water Act. The rule, put in place by the Obama administration, gave the EPA jurisdiction over wetlands near navigable or interstate waters and streams and tributaries leading to navigable waterways, as long as the wetlands, streams and tributaries were relatively permanent.

The report notes that the EPA will now revert to the 2008 rules, which limits the EPA’s authority to navigable waterways.

“I applaud President (Donald) Trump and Administrator Pruitt for reversing this Obama administration power grab, and for protecting the rights and the livelihoods of my constituents,” Shimkus said in the statement.