Renee Hoyos, Tennessee Clean Water Network Executive Director, will be one of 150 people to speak about the potential repeal or replacement of federal protections for public waters at a public listening session being held by the federal Environmental Protection Agency this morning. The forum, which lasts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., provides an opportunity for feedback to the Office of Water as part of a process set in motion by President Donald Trump’s executive order to streamline federal regulations to make them “less burdensome.”
Hoyos plans to speak during the web conference; members of the public may listen in on their computers if they sign in 15 minutes before it starts. The “online meeting room” can accommodate 1,000 participants, who will be able to listen to a broadcast of speakers from the teleconference line through their computers and submit written comments.
In a press release from the Clean Water Network, Hoyos stated that she wants to tell EPA that current regulations protect American’s health and property and reforms should go through established procedures for change.
“Any change to the regulatory framework should only be made after extensive research and public input on the topics, and not driven by an artificial deadline of a new administration,” she said in the email. “These regulations should be not relaxed for the convenience of industry, but should continue to help protect the nation’s waters that provide drinking water for millions of people and provide economic development through recreational opportunities for many as well.”
The web conference will be at http://epawebconferencing.acms.com/owregulatoryforums. Individuals wanting to make comments to EPA on this issue (whether or not they participate in the conference) can submit input to the EPA-wide docket (docket number: EPA-HQ-OA-2017-0190). For more information on upcoming public engagement opportunities offered by other EPA offices visit: https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/regulatory-reform.
S. Heather Duncan has won numerous awards for her feature writing and coverage of the environment, government, education, business and local history during her 15-year reporting career. Originally from Western North Carolina, Heather has worked for Radio Free Europe, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London, and several daily newspapers. Heather spent almost a dozen years at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., where she spent most of her time covering the environment or writing project-investigations that provoked changes such as new laws related to day care and the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. You can reach Heather at heather@knoxmercury.com
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