22 Attorneys General File Lawsuit Regarding WOTUS Rule Interpretation

The Attorneys General from Missouri, Iowa, and 22 other states are taking the interpretation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Waters of the Union States” rule to the court.

The lawsuit claims that the new rule modifies the definition of “Waters of the United States” in a way to dramatically expand the power of the federal government. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says the government’s interpretation attempts to regulate as much as 97 percent of Iowa land, and would include small lakes and ponds. The Attorney General says the broad definition would put significantly more Iowa farmland, housing land, and retail development under federal control.

Bird claims the final rule uses vague and unmanageable standards that will be difficult to comply with for both individuals and the state, and the new standards would create vast amounts of uncertainty by subjecting unexpected lands to regulation and significant permitting costs.