NAHB Commends EPA’s Action on Waters of the U.S. Rule
Buddy Hughes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and developer from Lexington, N.C., issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will consider a new rulemaking to revise the definition of the waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule:
“NAHB commends the EPA for moving to make changes to the WOTUS rule that will protect our nation’s waterways and provide builders and developers the clarity and certainty they need in the federal wetlands permitting process to help house America’s citizens. Obtaining a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit under WOTUS can take upwards of a year, and these permitting delays put home building projects on hold and increase construction costs. Today’s action by the EPA will help alleviate federal permitting roadblocks that are exacerbating the nation’s housing affordability crisis.”
“NAHB commends the EPA for moving to make changes to the WOTUS rule that will protect our nation’s waterways and provide builders and developers the clarity and certainty they need in the federal wetlands permitting process to help house America’s citizens. Obtaining a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit under WOTUS can take upwards of a year, and these permitting delays put home building projects on hold and increase construction costs. Today’s action by the EPA will help alleviate federal permitting roadblocks that are exacerbating the nation’s housing affordability crisis.”