A Missouri lawmaker wants to do what he says would more clearly define the state’s water regulations in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Sen. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, said the high court’s decision took a lot of regulatory power away from the Environmental Protection Agency and gave the power back to states.
“It’s important for us as we make our decisions on our farms and on our lands to know what kind of places do we need to go get permitting and where do we not need to go get permitting. That’s what I’m trying to clarify with this language,” he said.
Black said his bill would basically eliminate the gray areas in the Waters of the United States rule.
“Would this pond on my farm in Caldwell County be part of the Waters of State or not because in this information, we talk about relatively permanent standing and continuously flowing waters within our state,” said Black.
Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, R-Savannah, is the sponsor of the House’s version of the bill.
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