NFIB Supports Bill to Stop Regulating Puddles
WASHINGTON, D.C., September
9, 2014 — The National
Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is calling on Congress to stop
environmental regulators from expanding their authority over US waters to
include farmers’ ponds, seasonal streams and even temporary bodies of water
that most Americans would call puddles.
“When Congress gave the EPA authority over
US waters it clearly didn’t mean any water, anywhere,” said NFIB Manager of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch. “It meant those waters important for commerce. This legislation is necessary to reinforce those
intentions.”
The
organization sent a letter yesterday asking congress to pass H.R. 5078, the Waters
of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014. It would block the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from expanding the
Clean Water Act far beyond its original design in ways that would drown
property owners, small businesses and farmers under new regulations and costly
litigation. The measure is similar to S. 2496 introduced in July by Senator John
Barrasso, which NFIB also strongly supports.
“Without
a check on the EPA and the Army Corps, small business owners, farmers and
anyone who owns land will face a torrent of litigation over water that the law
was never intended to regulate,” said Bosch.
For more
information about NFIB, please visit www.nfib.com.
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NFIB
is the nation’s leading small business advocacy association, with offices in
Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 to give
small-business owners a voice in public policy-making, NFIB’s policy positions
are set by its 350,000 business-owner members, who send their views directly to
state and federal lawmakers through NFIB’s unique member-only ballot. NFIB’s
mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and
grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/news.
