The clean water act established the basic rules for regulating pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States and gave EPA the authority to implement pollution control programs, such as setting wastewater standards for industry. However, WOTUS significantly expanded the definition of navigable waters, to include everything from ditches, streams, wetlands and puddles. In […]
Earlier this year, the House passed the first four appropriations bills to support our military construction projects, veterans, energy and water sectors and our active-duty service members. Included in this package of bills was full funding at the president’s request for veterans at $73.8 billion, the prohibited closure of Guantanamo Bay, a 2.4-percent pay increase […]
Pruitt sounded the most confident when he talked about his WOTUS repeal effort. “What was wrong with the WOTUS rule of 2015 was it was what? An overreach. That’s not editorial comment. That’s what the 6th Circuit said,” Pruitt said. The court halted the definition of “waters of the U.S.” based on EPA’s broad interpretation […]
One of Pruitt’s first targets is a controversial rule on water pollution put in place by the Obama administration that he deemed a “power grab” by environmental regulators. To better understand why property rights advocates applauded the move, consider the case of fourth-generation farmer John Duarte, who has fought a protracted and costly legal battle […]
EPA plans to ask representatives from major industrial sectors about key issues that will inform the agency’s upcoming Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction rule that is expected to significantly narrow the Obama-era CWA policy, including compliance costs and whether there is a lack of regulatory “clarity” on the law’s reach. The agency outlined its questions […]
A 78-year-old man imprisoned for digging two ponds in Montana, one on federal land and the other on private property, without a permit has appealed his sentence, according to the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF). Oral arguments for Joseph Robertson’s appeal began Tuesday in the Ninth Circuit court. Robertson is serving an 18 month sentence in […]
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has released a video featuring Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt urging farmers and ranchers to submit official comments on the repeal and replacement of the waters of the U.S. rule. The agency’s deadline for comments has been extended to Sept. 27. On the video, Pruitt said his agency is […]
“EPA is committed to an open and transparent process for reviewing the definition of ‘waters of the United States,’” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. The rule, sometimes called the “puddle” rule, expanded the definition of waterways to include small streams and even ditches, greatly increasing EPA’s jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act to cover private land […]
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning 10 public hearings to gather input on its effort to write a new version of an Obama-era water pollution rule. … Nine of the sessions will be dedicated to specific interests like agriculture, construction, conservation and energy, and one will be for the general public. The meetings are […]
The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the public comment period on their proposal to rescind the Waters of the U.S. rule. The original deadline was August 28 but now has been moved to September 27. Nebraska Farm Bureau National Affairs Coordinator Jordan Dux says that’s a positive decision. He says having the extension gives his […]