Public listening sessions on the future of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule have wrapped up, and the Trump administration said it plans to have the rule completed by the end of the year. Throughout the sessions, there was a clear divide between what agriculture and industry groups and environmental groups are seeking in WOTUS, as ag reps said they wanted clearer definitions while environmental groups asked for no changes to the rule.
DTN reports the continued back and forth of definitions and re-definitions from administration to administration in the past 20 years has led to what is currently a patchwork of differing versions of the WOTUS definition from state to state because of a series of legal cases. The agencies held nine listening sessions including two public sessions in West Virginia and Utah, and said in the news release that they “heard from people who are frustrated with the constantly shifting” WOTUS definition.
