Crapo Statement on Court’s Decision to Temporarily Block EPA Water Grab

Washington, D.C. – Late yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Erickson issued a temporary injunction blocking the controversial U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Waters of the United States” rule, which had been set to go into effect today. Under the preliminary injunction, the 13 states, including Idaho, that were parties in the suit against the regulations will temporarily be exempted. Crapo, who has repeatedly pushed back on the rule since its proposal in 2014, released the following statement:

“The states, not the federal government, have always had primary jurisdiction over the allocation, management and use of water,” said Crapo. “This blatant overreach by the Administration, which goes far beyond the legal scope of what Congress intended in the Clean Water Act, sets a dangerous precedent and significantly expands federal authority by allowing the EPA to regulate nearly every stream, ditch, pond and puddle on both state and local lands, as well as private property. The court’s decision to halt the rule for the time being comes as no surprise as the Supreme Court has repeatedly rebuked similar efforts. While this is a short-term victory, I will continue to work with my colleagues on a legislative fix to permanently block this harmful rule.”