EPA to Hold August Hearings on Revamping of WOTUS Rule

Environment
Published

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will hold a series of virtual public meetings in August to hear from interested stakeholders on “their perspectives on defining ‘waters of the United States’ (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act” and how to implement that definition as federal agencies pursue this process.

NAHB will be participating in this process and encourages interested members to register for the meetings, which will take place on the following days (all times ET):

  • Aug 18, 3-5 p.m.
  • Aug 23, 1-3 p.m.
  • Aug. 25, 3-5 p.m.*
  • Aug. 26, 6-8 p.m.
  • Aug. 31, 3-5 p.m.

* Please note that the Aug. 25 meeting will focus on small businesses. Also, an additional hearing will be held Sept. 2, 2-4 p.m., in case all speaking slots are taken for the earlier meetings.

Registration information for all the meetings can be found here.

In addition, EPA has indicated that it will hold a series of regional field hearings in the fall and we will provide more information as it becomes available.

The Biden administration announced in June its intent to revise the definition of WOTUS and said that the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) to define WOTUS enacted during the Trump administration and supported by NAHB “is leading to significant environmental degradation.”

NAHB is a strong proponent of the NWPR because it corrects the vast overreach of prior rules by excluding most man-made ditches and isolated ponds from federal jurisdiction, restores common sense to the regulatory process, reduces projects costs and safeguards America’s water resources.

However, the Biden administration is taking a different approach. The EPA announced earlier this year that “upon review of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, the agencies have determined that the rule is significantly reducing clean water protections.”

EPA said that as a result of these findings, EPA and the Department of the Army will seek a new rulemaking process that restores the protections in place prior to the 2015 WOTUS implementation, and “anticipates developing a new rule that defines WOTUS and is informed by a robust engagement process as well as the experience of implementing the pre-2015 rule, the Obama-era Clean Water Rule, and the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protection Rule.”

The August virtual hearings and regional field hearings to take place in the fall are part of this process, and NAHB will remain actively engaged to promote the home builder perspective as the rulemaking process moves forward.

Learn more on this issue at the WOTUS page on nahb.org.

For more information, contact Michael Mittelholzer.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics | Multifamily

May 08, 2025

Multifamily Developer Confidence Falls in First Quarter

Confidence in the market for new multifamily housing declined year-over-year in the first quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by NAHB. The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 44, down three points year-over-year, while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) had a reading of 82, down one point year-over-year.

Sustainability and Green Building | Advocacy

May 07, 2025

Energy Star Transition and Its Effect on NAHB Members

Several recent media reports suggest that the Energy Star program, a proven private-public partnership administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is going through a possible transition period that could lead to its elimination.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

May 06, 2025

Mortgage Activity Levels Off in April as Rates Increase

Mortgage loan applications saw little change in April, as refinancing activity decreased. The Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application volume based on the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) weekly survey, experienced a 0.4% month-over month increase on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis. However, year-over-year, the index is up 29.3% compared to April 2024.

Economics

May 06, 2025

Prices for New Homes Continue to Drop as Existing Rises

The median price for a new single-family home sold in the first quarter of 2025 was $416,900, a mere $14,600 above the existing home sale price of $402,300, according to U.S. Census Bureau and National Association of Realtors data (not seasonally adjusted – NSA).

Economics

May 05, 2025

Student Housing Construction Investment Rises in the First Quarter of 2025

Private fixed investment in student dormitories increased by 2.3% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $4.04 billion. This gain followed a 1.0% increase in the previous quarter. However, private fixed investment in dorms was 2% lower than a year ago, as elevated interest rates place a damper on student housing construction.