Source: MEATINGPLACE, 8/6/15

More than 100 members of Congress have signed a letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General seeking an investigation into EPA’s lobbying effort to promote the “Waters of the United States” rule.

The congressmen want the OIG to investigate whether EPA broke U.S. laws by using funds appropriated by Congress to lobby for its regulatory agenda, according to the letter. It said EPA used social media campaigns and partnered with environmental organizations to promote the rule.

It cited a May New York Times report that said EPA urged the public via Facebook and Twitter to flood the agency with positive comments on the rule to counter opposition from farm and industry groups, testing the limits of a federal anti-lobbying law.
Separately, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released internal memos that show the Army Corp of Engineers, which oversees EPA’s rule, is skeptical that the rule will hold up in court.

In June, 13 states filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to throw out the rule, which expands EPA’s jurisdiction over waterways.
The agency has said the rule aims to clarify which bodies of water are protected under the 1972 Clean Water Act and relies on scientific studies that show small streams and wetlands are important to the health of larger waterways like rivers and lakes.
However, agricultural interests call the rule a case of regulatory overreach.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.