In early December 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency published for comment a new proposed clean water rule to replace the flawed 2015 “Waters of the U.S.” rule. The details will take some time to sort out — and there may be room for improvement on the latest proposal. But there’s no question that this is […]
Mr. Wheeler highlighted his success at delivering a long-promised proposal to narrow the definition of federal waterways protected under the Clean Water Act. “I believe that any property owner should be able to stand on his or her property and be able to tell for themselves whether or not they have waters of the U.S. on their […]
Since July, Mr. Wheeler has served as acting administrator. Under his leadership, EPA has issued commonsense policy regulations to protect our environment, while still allowing America’s economy to grow. Overreaching regulations such as the so-called Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States rule would have damaged our economy and cost Americans jobs with […]
President Donald Trump touted his administration’s repealing of the “Waters of the United States” rule, also known as WOTUS, while speaking at the 100th annual American Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans. “We’re saving farmers and ranchers from one of the most ridiculous regulations ever imposed on anybody in our nation, the Waters of the […]
One new beginning in particular that agriculture is looking forward to this year is a new clean water rule — one that promises to be rooted in common sense. Thanks to the resolve of the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, America’s farmers and ranchers can expect a new […]
For the past five years, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has been telling lawmakers to “ditch the rule,” a reference to the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule under the Clean Water Act. This year, AFBF President Zippy Duvall has changed the chant to “clean water, clear rules.” Duvall, in his annual opening address […]
The 2015 rule was confusing and required landowners to consult with federal agencies about farming their own land. This lack of clarity is why it was never fully implemented. Several states had sued, and won, to have the rule blocked. WOTUS left every ditch, arroyo and playa under the control of the federal government, even […]
Under the agencies’ proposal, traditional navigable waters, tributaries to those waters, certain ditches, certain lakes and ponds, impoundments of jurisdictional waters and wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters would be federally regulated. It also details what are not “waters of the United States,” such as features that only contain water during or in response to rainfall, […]
“People with any stake in the 2015 rule can go right to the proposal and know what’s in it,” said Don Parrish, senior regulatory affairs director at the American Farm Bureau Federation. Parrish pointed to the fact that EPA already received about 6,000 comments on a “pre-proposal.” Parrish said AFBF is generally pleased with the proposal, but would like […]
Bryan Nichols, field representative for Sixth Congressional District Rep. Sam Graves, noted the change to the Waters of the United States rule by the Environmental Protection Agency, announced Dec. 11. The rule change, which passed into law as part of an omnibus bill in May, is still in its public comment period, which will end […]