PLF Attorney Testifies on Oberstar Bill

On July 17, 2007, PLF attorney Reed Hopper testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  The hearing was entitled: Status of the Nation's Waters, Including Wetlands, Under the Jurisdiction of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (As amended by the Clean Water Act).   In addition to comments about the Rapanos decision and the new Corps/EPA Guidance, Mr. Hopper also gave an analysis of the proposed Clean Water Restoration Act--H.R. 2421 :

The [proposed Act's] definition of federal authority is not a "restoration" of congressional intent. It far exceeds the jurisdictional scope of the current Clean Water Act as it appears in the text of the statute. It even exceeds the extravagant scope of the existing federal regulations on which this definition is, in part, based. Indeed, with its claim of authority over "all interstate and intrastate waters," this bill pushes the limits of federal power to an extreme not matched by any other law, probably in the history of this country. Neither an ornamental pond nor the proverbial kitchen sink are excluded.

To read the full testimony click here.