Thursday, February 14, 2019

'Waters of the U.S.' redefinition open for public comment

The federal government is taking public comments on revisions to the rule defining "waters of the United States" in the Clean Water Act. Though the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers signed the proposed changes Dec. 11, the partial federal shutdown pushed back the public hearing and comment period.

Two public hearings will be held in Kansas City, Kan., Feb. 27 and 28 in the Wyandotte Ballroom of the Reardon Convention Center. The Feb. 27 session will run from 4 to 8 p.m. and the Feb. 28 session will go from 9 a.m. to noon. Click here for more information about the hearings, including how to register as a speaker. Click here for more information on how to submit a public comment. The 60-day public comment period will close on April 15.

The proposed revisions would dramatically decrease the number of wetlands and waterways covered by the Clean Water Act, eliminating federal protections from groundwater, some artificially irrigated areas, streams that only flow after rainfall and wetlands that aren't connected to large waterways.

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