By Julie Tomascik
Editor
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider their Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.
Trump’s executive order to ditch WOTUS is a welcome relief for farmers and ranchers across the country, according to American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall.
“The flawed WOTUS rule has proven to be nothing more than a federal land grab, aimed at telling farmers and ranchers how to run their businesses,” Duvall said. “The Environmental Protection Agency failed to listen to farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns when drafting the rule and instead created widespread confusion for agriculture. Under the rule, the smallest pond or ditch could be declared a federal waterway.”
The controversial rule, which went into effect Aug. 28, 2015, was stayed nationwide by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in October 2015.
It would have expanded the EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act and placed undue burden on farmers and ranchers.
“EPA has too long been characterized by regulatory overreach that disregards the very positive conservation efforts of farmers and threatens their very way of life,” Duvall said.
AFBF and other agricultural groups also applauded Trump’s appointment of former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. He was recently confirmed by the Senate and is expected to begin reviewing many other environmental rules.
Pruitt, according to the New York Times, led or took part in 14 lawsuits that intended to block EPA’s regulations.
Lawmakers also added their reactions to Trump’s executive order.
“Over the past eight years, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have repeatedly ignored the concerns of our nation’s farmers and ranchers in their quest to implement the WOTUS rule,” House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway said. “I applaud President Trump for taking the first steps to dismantle this egregious example of regulatory overreach.”
The executive order, however, does not legally remove WOTUS, which was enacted under former President Barack Obama.
But the action is “as much as a beginning as an end, and there is much work to do to ensure that any revised rule is transparent and fair for America’s farmers and ranchers,” Duvall said.
A great victory!
Finally, action is being taken to address the flawed WOTUS rule. Farmers and ranchers have long been stewards of the land. They are the first line of defense to ensure quality water sources are maintained, not jeopardized.
What was the order intended to prevent or protect?
GENE , IT WAS CREATED TO GIVE BIG BROHER THE LEGAL RIGHT TO LAND GRAB . THE LAND THAT HAD BEEN UNDER THE PROTECTION OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS FOR MANY GENERATIONS. THE LAND OWNERS HAD CARED FOR THIS LAND AND PAID TAXES FOR MANY YEARS. THE EPA COULD LEGALLY JUST TAKE THE LAND UNDER WOTUS . IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF COMUNISM IN THE FIRST DEGREE .
Water contamination.
I am Appalled. Another reason we need to watch who we vote in to any political office! And thank you to organizations that look out for things like this that hard working, small and large farmers don’t have the time to research!!