The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Department of the Army (Army) are moving forward with the next steps in proposing a new definition of the “Waters of the United States” rule, also known as WOTUS. The USEPA and the Army will hold a public hearing on the proposed new WOTUS in Kansas City, Kansason Wednesday, February 27 at 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2019.
The public hearing will be held in the Wyandotte Ballroom of the Reardon Convention Center, located at 520 Minnesota Avenue in Kansas City. Those interested in providing comments at the hearing are encouraged to register for a three-minute speaking slot on the USEPA website. The last day to register to speak at the hearing is February 21, 2019.
On February 26, 2019, the agencies will post a general agenda for the hearing on the USEPA website. The agenda will list preregistered speakers in their approximate order. Requests to speak will also be accepted the day of the hearing at the hearing registration desk, depending on availability.
The USEPA and Army say the proposed new definition of the rule aims to provide a clear, understandable, and implementable WOTUS definition that clarifies Federal authority under the Clean Water Act, while respecting the role of States and Tribes in managing their respective land and water resources. The agencies have submitted the proposed rule to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
The agencies will take comments on the WOTUS proposal for 60 days after publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register. Comments can be submitted online at https://www.regulations.gov, under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149.