WASHINGTON - U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule to repeal the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation.

Chairman Smith: “Clean water is a necessity for all Americans. Today’s decision by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to go back to the basics and build a better policy with input from local stakeholders puts the power back in the hands of the people. The Obama administration imposed heavy-handed federal regulations on virtually every private and public lake, pond and stream across the country. A full repeal of this rule will further protect private landowners and farmers from federal regulatory overreach. I look forward to a policy that actually helps protect clean water without unnecessary regulation.”