Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 2/12/19

The Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) saga continues to unfold, and processors may be interested in upcoming information and feedback sessions that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are planning, Thomas McGill, the EPA’s branch chief of Ocean, Wetlands and Streams Protection, told attendees of the Environmental Conference for the Meat & Poultry Industry.

The conference preceded the annual International Production and Processing Expo here this week.

“The scope of the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction is so important” to processors, McGill said. If a body of water “is subject to WOTUS, it’s subject to water quality standards, monitoring and assessments, total max daily loads, discharges from point sources” and so on.

“If it’s not CWA jurisdiction, none of that applies.”

The Waters of the U.S. rule defines all bodies of water that fall under U.S. federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.
Describing WOTUS as “by far the most important rule-making effort that we could have,” McGill encouraged attendees to participate in the rule-making and public comments process.

To that end, McGill said, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers did sign a rule in November 2018, which has not yet been published in the Federal Register. McGill said it is his understanding that the rule could be published any day, at which point the public comment period begins.

Meanwhile, an “unofficial” version of the rule is available for review on the EPA website.

Even without a Federal Register notice, EPA and the Army have scheduled opportunities for discussion about the rule.
On Thursday, Feb. 14, the agencies will have an information webcast to provide an overview of the stipulations in the 250-page proposed rule. The webinar, at 3:30 EST, is limited to 2,000 registrants. To sign up, click here.

Also, the agencies will hold a public meeting in Kansas City, Kans., on Feb. 27 and 28.

Pre-registration for those wishing to speak at the meeting will close on Feb. 21, although requests to speak will be taken at the meeting. Interested parties can register for the public meeting here.