Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., and 144 other members of Congress signed a letter Wednesday demanding answers about the Environmental Protection Agency Region 10’s funding of whatsupstream.com.
According to a press release, the website and advocacy campaign in Washington state is trying to influence legislators to support the Waters of the U.S. Rule that aims to impose greater regulation on ditches, ponds and seasonally wet areas on private property.
“It’s bad enough that the EPA is trying to gain new authority over development near every pond or seasonal stream, drainage ditch or puddle, in the U.S., whether on public or private property,” Herrera Beutler said. “Now we learn that this agency illegally used taxpayer money to advocate for its egregious power grab. The EPA owes taxpayers some answers about how it made the decision to waste taxpayer money promoting backward, harmful regulations in a manner clearly prohibited by law.”
Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., led the effort to get answers from the EPA.
“Federal law is clear, and the EPA knows better than to be engaged in the misuse of taxpayer dollars for anti-farmer publicity campaigns that lobby for more regulations,” Newhouse said.
He said it is troubling that the EPA has let taxpayer dollars be used to attack farmers.
“The EPA must be held accountable to cooperate fully with oversight investigations and to end the pattern of taxpayer-funded lobbying efforts,” Newhouse said.
The EPA earlier this month admitted that it should not have funded whatsupstream.com. The EPA used grant awards to fund the site and advertisements urging people to contact state legislators.
The website allows visitors to email their state lawmakers advocating for 100-foot stream buffer zones and other policies.
