NAHB applauds Trump order to reorganize Clean Water Act

The association has complained of the water rule as burdensome to homebuilders

NAHB applauds Trump order to reorganize Clean Water Act
President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week to reorganize government regulation of waterways.

The National Association of Homebuilders has long been against the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, protesting that it’s costly and burdensome. 

Also known as the Clean Water Act, the Obama-era rule was set in 2015, and was aimed at defining the EPA’s jurisdiction when it came to “navigable waters,” according to CNBC.

“NAHB commends President Trump for listening to our serious concerns about the flawed WOTUS rule that goes so far as to regulate man-made ditches and isolated ponds on private property,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald. “This is an important first step toward reworking the flawed regulation and moving toward a more sensible WOTUS rule.

“NAHB looks forward to working with the administration, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, when approved, to develop a common-sense solution to protecting our nation's waterways while taking into account the interests of local businesses and communities nationwide.”

The executive order includes directions for the agency to reconsider the rule. 

In response, EPA posted the following on its website:

“EPA intends to immediately implement the executive order and submit a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to withdraw and replace the rule. The president’s action preserves a federal role in protecting water, but it also restores the states’ important role in the regulation of water.”


Related stories:
Trump administration aims to strip power from CFPB
Trump to order Dodd-Frank rollback - report