What the bill does
Federal Water Quality Protection Act (Sec. 2) This bill states as the policy of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) cooperative federalism and consultation with states in the protection of water resources. (Sec. 3) The bill defines new terms used in this bill, including "body of water," "interstate waters," "traditional navigable water," and "wetlands". (Sec. 4) The bill nullifies a revision to or guidance on a regulatory definition of the term "navigable waters" or "waters of the United States" promulgated or issued pursuant to the Clean Water Act after February 4, 2015: (1) unless the revision adheres to the principles in this bill, and (2) until after the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps of Engineers) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carry out the requirements of this bill. In promulgating a revised regulatory definition, the Corps of Engineers and the EPA must adhere to three principles. First, the Clean Water Act is an Act to protect traditional navigable waters from water pollution. Second, the definition of "waters of the United States" should identify bodies of water subject to federal jurisdiction and should include: traditional navigable waters and interstate waters; certain lengths of streams that are drinking water source protection areas; certain lengths of streams with surface flow in a normal year of sufficient volume, duration, and frequency that pollutants in that length of stream would degrade the water quality of a connected traditional navigable water, based on a quantifiable and statistically…
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures, Agricultural practices and innovations, Army Corps of Engineers, Congressional oversight, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental regulatory procedures, Intergovernmental relations, Lakes and rivers, Licensing and registrations