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EPA sorting through WOTUS comments

Karl Brooks, the Region 7 Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration tells Brownfield that the  Waters of the U.S. proposal is in a different phase now that the comment period has ended.

“The objective of the agency now is to sort through those comments, look for the ones that help us accomplish our goals, and that is to give people some certainty and predictability where there’s been some confusion and uncertainty,” said Brooks, “and to produce a final rule in the first half of 2015 that works on the ground.”

When asked whether the EPA will consider backing away from the proposal given the volume of negative publicity, Brooks said he cannot speak for the agency as a whole, but he does defend the proposal.

“The best interaction anybody can have with EPA or the Corps [of Engineers] is one they never have to have because everybody knows in advance what waters are in and what waters are out,” he said.

Brooks spoke to Brownfield Ag News at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Kansas City.

AUDIO: Karl Brooks (4 min. MP3)