Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are asking EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the review the agencies said was conducted which prompted them to conclude that the Trump administration's Navigable Waters Protection Rule needed to be repealed and replaced.
"After the administration's continued commitments to transparency, engagement, and communication with stakeholders and Congress on this issue, the lack of transparency surrounding the decision to abandon this legally defensible and environmentally sound rule is disheartening," the lawmakers said in the letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan and acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime Pinkham.
The lawmakers said the administration has not provided its analysis to back up their claims the Trump-era rule caused "significant environmental damage" and "ongoing environmental harm" and that it faced "implementation challenges."
They are asking for specifics of the harm, damage and implementation issues and information on the 333 projects that did not require a permit under the Trump rule but would have under the Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. The lawmakers are seeking a response by July 5.