On its website to alert small businesses to burdensome federal regulations, the House Small Business Committee added April 23 the recently proposed rule that would assert Clean Water Act jurisdiction over the nation's waters and wetlands.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jointly proposed a rule, published April 21, that would bring under federal jurisdiction all tributaries of streams, lakes, ponds and impoundments, as well as wetlands that affect the chemical, physical and biological integrity of larger, navigable downstream waters. The agencies plan to accept comment on the proposed rule until July 21.

The Committee started the regulatory alert website, Small Biz Reg Watch, in February 2013 to inform small businesses about pending environmental and other federal regulations and provide them a direct link for submitting comments on such rules.

Since the inception of the website, the focus has expanded from six to 23 regulations that are open for comment, including the EPA's regulations for greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture worker protection from pesticides and performance standards for new residential wood heaters.