The Obama administration on Wednesday claimed unprecedented power over this nation’s waterways; laying claim to all of America’s creeks, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and yes even ditches and ponds.
Through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corp of Engineers the Obama administration says they have the authority to control all U.S. waterways – and they plan to use this power to claim control and authority of even the smallest body of water on private land.
Under the new EPA regulations, which were unconstitutionally granted by President Obama, The EPA has decided that it can regulate isolated wetlands and ponds on private lands and in farmer’s fields by designating them “regional treasures.”
“We’re finalizing a clean water rule to protect the streams and the wetlands that one in three Americans rely on for drinking water. And we’re doing that without creating any new permitting requirements and maintaining all previous exemptions and exclusions.” EPA head Gina McCarthy told reporters Wednesday.
While some hardcore environmentalists may think these new powers are a good thing, even some Democrats are trying to stop the Obama administration’s bizarre power grab. Three moderate Democrats in the Senate and 24 in the House have joined the Republicans in opposition.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works (EPW), warns that the EPA’s final rule on the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) represents an “unprecedented land grab” of private property – and says he “will not allow it.”
“This makes it more important than ever for Congress to act. Last month, I stood with a bipartisan group of Senators to unveil S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, to rein in EPA’s attempt to use the Clean Water Act to expand federal control over land and water. Sen. Dan Sullivan, Chairman of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, held a legislative hearing on the bill last week that underscored the importance of keeping the focus of the Clean Water Act on clean water and called out EPA’s attempt to use the rule as a tool for habitat protection. The EPA has set themselves up to increase federal control over private lands, and I will not allow it.
“Our committee is planning for a markup on S. 1140 this summer, as we continue our work to halt EPA’s unprecedented land grab and refocus its job on protecting traditional navigable waters from pollution.”
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said:
“EPA’s attempt to redefine ‘navigable waterways’ to include every drainage ditch, backyard pond, and puddle is a radical regulatory overreach that threatens to take away the rights of property owners and will lead to costly litigation and lost jobs. The House is committed to fighting back against this radical policy, which is why we passed bipartisan legislation earlier this month to stop the EPA in their tracks from moving forward with this misguided proposal. It’s time for President Obama’s EPA to abandon these radical proposals, all in the name of protecting wetlands and waterways, that instead will only lead to more American jobs being shipped overseas at the expense of the American economy.”
EPA & Obama’s Power Grab for Private Land
This is something that I have been writing about for quite some time. Over the last couple of years I’ve covered a number of stories on how the Obama administration and the EPA have used the Clean Water Act to take land from private property owners.
By redefining the term “Waters of the United States,” the EPA has essentially laid claim to all private land, and can seize that land by government order.
From the story of the story of Chantell and Mike Sackett, a couple who were harassed and fined off their land after the EPA claimed their dry land was actually wetland, to the Obama administration seizing the entire town of town of Riverton, Wyoming, this abuse of power was already in full swing even before these new rules officially to hold.
The Pacific Legal Foundation, a leading litigator in support of property rights and balanced environmental regulations, warns the new regulatory rule would vastly expand federal Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction in a way that goes beyond the limits of the law and the Constitution.
“Today, the Corps and EPA released a new rule that would vastly — and illegally — expand federal regulatory power under the Clean Water Act through a practically open-ended new definition of the term, ‘waters of the United States,’” said PLF Principal Attorney M. Reed Hopper.
“Under this new rule, the only waters that are clearly not subject to federal regulatory power are the few that are exempted or expressly excluded from the Clean Water Act, including artificial reflective pools, ornamental waters, ground water, and gullies, non-wetland swales, and puddles,” Hopper noted. “In the wake of this new rule, prudent lawyers would have to advise their clients that unless the waters or ditches on their land are exempt or expressly excluded under the letter of the Clean Water Act, they may be subject to federal regulation.”
American Dream of Land Ownership is now an American Nightmare
Sadly, these types of abuses have been happening for years; and it’s not just the Obama administration that is killing the American dream of Land Ownership.
From a WWII vet who was forced out of his 88-year-old family owned grocery store; to the heartbreaking story of Andrew Wordes, who took his life after code enforcement teams seized his home; to the Off-Griders in California who were threatened with arrest for daring to live an off the grid lifestyle, these stories highlight how out of control these bureaucrats have become at every level of government.
Our basic Constitutional rights are being shredded right before our eyes, and the once great American Dream of owning your own little piece of land is quickly becoming an American Nightmare.
It is in my strong belief that the government is trying to take over the land from the free people of this suposive free country.why is the government trying to turn this country into Mexico, Nazi Germany? I thought a person is supposed to be secure in their persons, places, and papers.what happened to the people’s federally secured rights? And now to the government that works for me, your a bunch of assholes! I can’t wait to see the people overthrow the government and take over! You money Hungary fucks!
Death by a 1000 cuts!
What about the government and EPA cleaning up their mess from mine leak and all the yellow water!
If I owned land with a large pond I would demand my property taxes be recalculated since I no longer own that section of my property!
communism coming faster than you think
Totalitarianism surely, but this is fascism pure and simple. Fascism in the original sense as the merging of government and business.
How do you control a population? Through food and water.
How much longer you think until the Sheeple get it?
He’s following UN Agenda 21 protocols.
OK SO …We get a grass-roots group of conservationist philanthropists to buy the National Park Land They are Selling Off. Then Don’t Give them Access to those Bodies of Water, It’s a start! (albeit a little sarcastic)
“seizing the entire town of Riverton Wyoming” is complete bullshit, never happened. dave hodges chicken little strikes again.
Check your facts BillW. In 2013 the EPA did facilitate the taking of this town for the benefit of the local Indian reservation.
As of today you could say that the wars of today are fought over oil. As populations grow and urban sprawl goes uncontested at an unregulated pace, the lakes and rivers are not only being polluted but drying up. In the future wars will be fought over water. I think this may be your nations way of starting to ensure as much water as possible remains available to them. Your dollar may be worth squat but you’ll have a puddle to piss in.
As I commented on an earlier post about Jade Helm, I have been out of the loop for awhile since retiring, but friends still working for the government have told me that Jade Helm is a practice run for the confiscation and redistribution of water supplies. Those areas with abundant water supplies are going to be placed on national water restrictions, so that the government can redistribute their water to other areas like California. Don’t just stock up on water, but have clandestine rain collection barrels hidden as well. Where I live, rain water already falls under the same rules as city water and we can only use it at their direction. If you have visible rain barrels, expect the government to come calling in the near future.
Nothing aint gonna happen. Stop worrying tactishits.
Of course, we know that this administration has never been concerned about the good of the people. Their only interest in controlling water and food is to control us. Ours is a already a Socialist, Communist government out of control and uncontested, thanks to a weak and corrupt Republican Party and a corrupt media. So far the people have shown themselves to be lazy, uninformed and easily manipulated. But if the people do not rise up politically, we are done as a country. Not only is the Republican Party corrupt, but it is at war with the Conservative element of the party; the only ones with the ability to even begin to fix what Obama has been destroying. Unless this condition changes, we will have a Democrat president and then God help us all.
I guess people didn’t figure it out yet… Did you guys know that what were Republicans are now Democrats and vice versa? All they keep doing is redifining and renaming everything… Even themselves!
This is actually a fascist government. Government of, by and for the wealthy. The poor are just used as pawns and turned into cannon fodder for their wars of global exploitation. There is no real significant difference in the ultimate end of either party. Both care only for wealth as they have made sure that the only true form of power that is left, without street actions, is money.
It is here ! The frog is now being cooked in the pot where the heat was slowly introduced …
About two years ago I watched a documentary on T. V. It showed the Great Lakes being drained and the water being pulled behind an enormous freight ship in these strange water containers like giant balloons. The water is our highest quality. It was being delivered to China. Their water is contaminated from pollution. So is the air. They have a huge problem with garbage. The wealthy Chinese are buying America. We are schmucks.
Everybody fucks us and we are worried about what? You think the Mexicans are the problem?
The blacks? The Natives? Better think again. There aren’t enough of us to deal with the invasion that’s coming. One day we’ll look out and there will be a billion Chinese with weapons and even a twelve year old girl to Gung Fu your ass into orbit. We were sold out a long time ago. They are disciplined and we are so screwed. Chinese look down on the white savages. Europeans were throwing their crap into the street a couple hundred years ago. Chinese culture is thousands of years old. They won’t be as friendly as the South Americans. “Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink.”
Hahahahahaha you know how stupid that sounds. Do some actual research.
This is happening to us right now. We own 8 acres of land in Florida that is suddenly classified by the EPA as wetlands. It is NOT wetlands. It just happens to fall within the boundaries of 2 conservation projects. We are being told we can not build or alter the property in any way or we will be fined daily. FDEP told us basically, Too bad so sad for you that you now own worthless land”.
“Show Me ….where the in the US Constitution where it give the power to the Federal Government to have Anything to do with Environmental, Education, Healthcare, Land grabs except for limited property described in it. (BLM)! You can’t. And if the Constitution does not grant them the power then any other laws or regulations that they make are Null and Void. Educate yourselves at krisannehall.com (Constitutional Attorney, Educator, Speaker) I dare you !! God Bless !!
Don’t the states have anything to say about the federal government interfering in each state and taking whatever they want ? don’t the states’ governments have anything to say about what the federal government is doing? What happened to the constitution? It is time for all of the States to gather and demand that the laws of the constitution be upheld. This is piracy no one is challenging those (—-)
Imagine all underground water ways that wells go to
America land of the free home of the brave.Obama is at it agian taking away what Americans have.Over the top on what he should never be allowed to take anything from the people who have worked for years for what they have.He should have never been in charge of anything and never our president our fault for voting for him.Will be glad when he is gone.AMEN
speak for yourself Roae Shriver
i didn’t vote for that SOB
It would be nice if the sarcastic replies were left out of such a serious subject, and I would not doubt that some were submitted to try and discredit this article. But the facts and abuses go on. Its there, its public, {for now,} just do the research and read. I contact my representatives at least once a week. sometimes more as new info is found. It may never make a difference, but I have seen that it does. Spend some time commenting to THEM.