Southern Illinois News

Mike Bost, representative of Illinois' 12th Congressional District, announced that the Trump administration is revising the "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) act to ensure compliance with federal law and reduce burdens on farmers. He said, "We all believe in keeping our water clean and safe, but that doesn’t have to come at the expense of the hardworking men and women in rural America," in a Facebook post on March 13.

"Remember the Obama-era Waters of the U.S. rule that put EPA bureaucrats in control of every waterway, ditch, and farmland pond in America," said Bost, U.S. Representative, according to Facebook. "President Trump rolled back this crippling overregulation during his first term, only for Biden to bring the hammer down on our farmers once again when he took office. Well, the Trump administration is fighting back once more, moving quickly to revise WOTUS to ensure it complies with federal law and no longer overburdens our farmers with red tape and high permitting costs. We all believe in keeping our water clean and safe, but that doesn't have to come at the expense of the hardworking men and women in rural America who feed us and fuel our economy."

According to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, on March 12, the agency will collaborate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to redefine WOTUS. The aim is to reduce red tape, cut permitting costs, and lower business expenses while protecting navigable waters from pollution. Zeldin said that the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition burdened Americans and increased business costs, highlighting the new definition's potential to ease regulatory burdens on farmers.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's March 13 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's Facebook page

In 1972, amendments to the Clean Water Act made the federal government responsible for regulating navigable waters defined as WOTUS. Since then, key rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court have shaped its interpretation. In 1985's U.S. v. Riverside Bayview Homes case, the Court deferred jurisdiction over wetlands near navigable waters to the Army Corps of Engineers. In 2023's Sackett v. EPA decision, it was clarified that "waters" refers only to relatively permanent bodies such as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes; wetlands are included when directly connected without a distinguishing break.

Bost has represented Illinois’ 12th District since January 6, 2015. A lifelong resident of Murphysboro with extensive state political experience, he served as House Republican Caucus Chair in Illinois' State House for two decades. Bost is also a former U.S. Marine Corps member and worked at Bost Trucking Service before joining Murphysboro Fire Department after firefighter training in 1993.