Waterkeeper Alliance Responds to EPA Regulatory Reform Process
By: Waterkeeper Alliance
Waterkeeper Alliance sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt today requesting an opportunity to discuss the EPA regulatory reform process and the efforts to identify regulations to be “repealed, replaced or modified to make them less burdensome,” pursuant to Executive Order 13777.
The letter, signed by Executive Director Marc Yaggi, is available here.
EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. As EPA attempts to carry out the Trump administration’s “regulatory reform” priorities, it is becoming more and more apparent that EPA may only be seeking meaningful engagement with a narrow subset of stakeholders, most notably, big industry and rich, corporate entities.
Waterkeeper Alliance and 166 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates across the United States work closely with communities to protect and preserve their local waterways and have firsthand knowledge of how important EPA regulations are for public health and the environment. Waterkeeper Alliance is requesting a meeting with EPA in order to provide the agency with expert insights on the importance of existing regulations that safeguard vital water resources across the United States – waters that millions of Americans depend on. Additionally, the group notes that the regulatory review is happening at a rapid pace that will not allow for meaningful input from all stakeholders or for a responsible evaluation of the interactions targeted rules may have with other federal and state statutes and rules. The group urges EPA to allow for more time for public engagement after EPA announces which regulations have been suggested for repeal, replacement or modification.