Tennessee joined a 17-state coalition this week to support farmers and landowners by urging the Trump administration to adopt a replacement it proposed for the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
According to the Tennessee attorney general's office, the coalition argues the Trump administration's proposal would restore reasonable and predictable lines between waters subject to federal and state regulation.
"The proposed rule, unlike the rule that it would replace, respects the traditional role of Tennessee and all other states to regulate their own water resources," said Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
States in support of the new rule believe it would correct flaws with the WOTUS regulation from 2015. In a press release, the attorney general's office said WOTUS, "extended authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers far beyond what Congress intended and the Constitution permits."
The attorney general's office asserts that the Trump administration's proposal would also respect the right of states to regulate their own water resources.
Had the WOTUS rule from 2015 been implemented, it would have removed jurisdiction over natural resources from states, allowing federal authority over almost any body of water.
Tennessee joined the coalition by signing a letter led by West Virginia. Other states that signed the letter are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
If you'd like to read the public comments filing, you can here.
