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Senator Rounds Introduces Bill to Reign in the Waters of the U.S. Rule

South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds joined a number of his colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Federal Water Quality Protection Act.

The bipartisan legislation would protect farmers, rancher and private landowners by directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule that does not include things such as isolated ponds, ditches, agriculture water, storm water, groundwater, floodwater, municipal water supply systems, wastewater management systems, and streams without enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters.

Rounds says the EPA is overstepping its authority.

He says there needs to be better definitions of navigable waterways. 

Rounds says Congress has to become the rule maker.

Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer and North Dakota Heidi Heitkamp joined the legislation.