Environment

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Clean Water Rule, which replaces the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule:

EPA’s new Clean Water Rule is a positive step forward for manufacturers, for our country and for responsible environmental stewardship, said Timmons, who attended today’s announcement. Manufacturers rely on clean water for everything from growing agricultural inputs to engineering green chemistry and providing renewable power. We simply ask for regulatory certainty. The uncertainty created by the overreaching and unfair 2015 WOTUS rule threatened manufacturing jobs, and it failed to protect clean water adequately. Smart water policy is critical for all of us, and manufacturers are committed to keeping our promise to use the certainty we have been given to do our part to make our water and air cleaner—and our environment healthier. After all, the earth is the only home we have.

In 2017, the NAM welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order instructing EPA to rescind the onerous 2015 WOTUS rule and has submitted multiple sets of comments over the past four years to better inform policymakers. In addition, the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action has been in active litigation against the rule since July 2015 and scored a significant legal victory earlier this year before the U.S. Supreme Court, which resolved a major procedural obstacle. In October, the NAM filed a motion for summary judgment with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas seeking to strike down the 2015 rule in its entirety.

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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.