Topic: The EPA Wants to Own You, Your Land, and Your Water

[oldcoastie6468]

EPA Stealthily Propels Toward ‘Massive Power Grab of Private Property Across the U.S.’

Redefinition of "waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act would give EPA jurisdiction over as little as a backyard ditch.

WASHINGTON — While the country is immersed in Obamacare headlines and a congressional tussle over delays and mandates, the Obama administration is stealthily moving toward unprecedented control over private property under a massive expansion of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act authority.

The proposed rule, obtained by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in advance of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy’s testimony at a Thursday oversight hearing, widely broadens the definition of waterways over which the federal government has jurisdiction to as little as a water ditch in a backyard.

The Clean Water Act redefinition of “waters of the United States” would include all ponds, lakes, wetlands and natural or manmade streams that have any effect on downstream navigable waters — whether on public lands or private property.

And, committee Republicans note, the administration is trying to move forward with the rule at a breakneck pace, relying on the findings of a scientific report that hadn’t undergone peer review at the time the rule was submitted to the White House for approval.

“The EPA’s draft water rule is a massive power grab of private property across the U.S. This could be the largest expansion of EPA regulatory authority ever,” Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said after seeing the proposal. “If the draft rule is approved, it would allow the EPA to regulate virtually every body of water in the United States, including private and public lakes, ponds and streams.”

“The Obama administration’s latest power play to regulate America’s waterways is an unprecedented effort to control the use of private property,” Smith added, promising to question McCarthy this week about her agency’s “ever-expanding regulatory agenda.”

The EPA has made no secret of wanting to balloon its jurisdiction over all waters, even testing the limits by going after businesses that could potentially taint any type of water on its way to a body of water.

Everyone in the communist's administration is thrilled about this!

http://pjmedia.com/blog/epa-stealthily-propels-toward-massive-power-grab-of-private-property-across-the-u-s/

[AlanS]

Why am I not surprised?

[Septugenarian]

IIRC, their first attempt at enforcing this overreach, involving rain runoff, was tossed out in court.

[IronDioPriest]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. We need open resistance, backed by states.

[oldcoastie6468]

IIRC, their first attempt at enforcing this overreach, involving rain runoff, was tossed out in court.

True, but they'll keep trying and eventually they'll get some liberal judge to give them all they want.

[oldcoastie6468]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. We need open resistance, backed by states.

I've said before that I expect a civil war to erupt against this communist regime.

[Libertas]

Old news...ever since the Fed & State eco-nazis started cracking down on people for mowing grass near a fricken puddle (it's a wetland, they say!) this sh*t has been just getting worse...until some fascists start showing up on pikes it'll be SSDD...

[oldcoastie6468]

Old news...ever since the Fed & State eco-nazis started cracking down on people for mowing grass near a fricken puddle (it's a wetland, they say!) this sh*t has been just getting worse...until some fascists start showing up on pikes it'll be SSDD...

I'm ready. The EPA is way out of control.

[AlanS]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. We need open resistance, backed by states.

And there in lies the problem. Way too many states on the gubment tit.

[Predator Don]

I've already felt the overreach of the EPA. A small ditch running to an overflow pond became "wetlands" when I looked into using ( buying) the property. I ended up, literally, giving up.

[Pandora]

When they get around to claiming jurisdiction over waterwells, "we" are gonna have a problem.  Notice I didn't say "if".

[LadyVirginia]

that have any effect on downstream navigable waters

which they will define as anything that collects water

[oldcoastie6468]

that have any effect on downstream navigable waters

which they will define as anything that collects water

Which is amazingly wrong.

[Libertas]

Defiance, open or by stealth, is required...other measures to kick in when needed.   

[richb]

The problem is far more then the EPA, though they are one of the worst.   Congress is the law making body.   Why are we allowing government agencies the ability to create regulation (i.e. laws)?   I see nowhere in the constitution where an agency is allowed to be a law making body.  Every day some government bureaucrat is creating some law that is likely unneeded,  but will affect some private person minding his own business,  only to become some "criminal",  because someone thinks they know better. 

All regulation,  since they are basically laws,  by definition,  need to come from Congress,  not from the regulators that will enforce.

Allowing regulators to create the rules they will be enforcing, is only asking for major abuse and corruption.   They are unelected and unaccountable.   They should be the LAST ones creating laws. 

Maybe we wouldn't have so much regulation if Congress was the only one doing it.    Most of these rules are too boring for the elected elite,  so they would not happen so fast.