Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) has joined a bipartisan group of 170 lawmakers expressing concern that the Environmental Protection Agency is attempting to implement a dramatic expansion of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.

In December 2010, the EPA drafted a “Clean Water Protection Guidance” document and sent it for regulatory review. In this document, the EPA admitted that the “Guidance” would change policy regarding which waters fall under the Clean Water Act. The “Guidance” would drastically increase the ability of the federal government to regulate waters.

“This new ‘Guidance’ from the EPA will change agency policy without going through a transparent rulemaking process and it will reverse decisions by the United States Supreme Court that limit the federal government’s authority to regulate waters. Additionally, the ‘Guidance’ will upset a longstanding federal and state partnership that will cause confusion, delay the permit process and have a negative economic impact on small businesses, farmers, and communities. This is a significant potential expansion of the government’s jurisdiction. Rather than forcing change through drafting guidelines, the EPA should work together with the states and the Congress to find solutions that allow us to protect clean water. ”-Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

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