CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – Governor Patrick Morrisey submitted a letter Monday to support the Trump administration’s updated definition of the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“The definition of WOTUS under the Biden EPA was pure government overreach that threatened West Virginia’s economy and our way of life,” said Governor Morrisey. “Since I was Attorney General, I have been fighting for a clear, consistent definition that aligns with court decisions and supports West Virginia’s authority to oversee local water resources.”
As West Virginia’s Attorney General, Morrisey led a multistate coalition to oppose overly broad interpretations by the Biden EPA, which failed to align with the requirements from Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, 598 U.S. 651 (2023).
In the letter, Governor Morrisey says the Trump administration “seeks to fix those mistakes of the past administration” by strictly limiting the definition to traditional navigable waters, permanent tributaries that connect to these traditional navigable waters, and wetlands that have a continuous surface connection to those navigable waters or permanent tributaries.
“I strongly support the steps taken by the Trump Administration to develop greater regulatory certainty, predictability, and consistency around the definition of WOTUS,” added Governor Morrisey. “West Virginia landowners and regulated businesses have been waiting to be free of the undue regulatory burden imposed by Joe Biden’s EPA.”
Read the full letter here.
