One week after suing the Environmental Protection Agency over its Clean Power Plan, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is filing another lawsuit against the EPA.
Wednesday’s lawsuit is over the recently finalized Waters of the United States rule, an attempt to clarify what bodies of water qualify for federal protection.
But what the EPA says is nothing more than a tweak to current rules farmers won’t even notice, Pruitt argues is vast government overreach that will extend to every pond and ditch in the country.
“Respect for private property rights have allowed our nation to thrive, but with the recently finalized rule, farmers, ranchers, developers, industry, and individual property owners will now be subject to the unpredictable, unsound, and often byzantine regulatory regime of the EPA,” Pruitt said in a statement.
The EPA rule updates were finalized in May, and Pruitt was expected to sue over the issue. He recently won a victory against the EPA when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Mercury and Air Toxics rule last month.
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership among Oklahoma’s public radio stations and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.
