The EPA's New Form of Land Seizure

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the unfettered right to declare any piece of land ANYWHERE (under the Clean Water Act) as a "wetlands." At the Obama Environmental Protection Agency's discretion, they can take over your private property, or tell you that you can't build your dream home on the land you bought simply by designating it a "wetland." And so far, you cannot do anything about it without spending far more than you paid for the property you are about to build on. If you choose to fight the federal bureaucracy for their takeover of your land, you --- or any landowner - can be assessed prohibitive penalties to fight the abrogation of your right use your own land. The most frightening thing about the EPA's over-reach is that they have found a way to exercise eminent domain in a way they never have to buy they land they "seize." In a real twist, in fact, the owners still has to keep up the taxes on the land --- even though they can never use it!...more

This piece, from The Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, tells the story of the Sackett's:

A hard-working Idaho couple found this out the hard way. Mike and Chantell Sackett own a half-acre lot in a RESIDENTIAL area near Priest Lake in northern Idaho. All they wanted to do was to build a home. Not an ostentatious home. Just their dream home. The lot exists within a built-out area near the Lake. The lot itself has an existing sewer hookup, and is zoned for RESIDENTIAL construction. Prior to their purchase of the land, the Sacketts completed the normal round of due diligence inspections. None of their research indicated any Clean Water Act permitting history or other EPA requirements to use the property. Yet, after the excavation work was begun the EPA "swooped in" with a special "compliance order" that required them to undo the excavation work and restore the "wetlands" to their "pristine" condition. Worse yet, they were told by the federal government they had to "leave it" for three years before they could seek a "permit" which might cost an additional HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS! In other words, they could not build or even put up a pup tent --- it had to be "untouched" as a designated "wetland."

You can go to the CDFE website to learn how to demand a Congressional investigation into EPA.

In this video by the Pacific Legal Foundation Mike and Chantell Sackett tell their story: