Farmers, Livestock Producers Applaud Withdrawal of WOTUS Rule

US - The US Environmental Protection Agency yesterday made an announcement that it will propose a rule to rescind a controversial Clean Water Act regulation that gave the government broad jurisdiction over land and water.
calendar icon 28 June 2017
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National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Craig Uden and Public Lands Council President Dave Eliason issued the following statements regarding the announcement:

NCBA's Mr Uden said: "This is another great step in the right direction, and the Administration deserves a great deal of credit for injecting some much-needed common sense into our nation's environmental policies.

"It's important to remember, though, that this rule isn't dead yet.

"The rulemaking process continues, and NCBA will submit and solicit additional comments on behalf of America's cattle producers so that they finally get the sanity and clarity they need on land use policy."

Mr Eliason added: "We applaud President Trump and Administrator Pruitt for their leadership in repealing the 2015 WOTUS rule.

"Ranchers in the West are already subject to an elevated level of regulatory overreach, and the WOTUS rule as written would have only made the problem worse.

"It is reassuring to see the steps that this administration is taking to relieve some of that regulatory burden and provide certainty for our producers."

Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation said: "Farmers and ranchers across this country are cheering EPA’s proposal today to ditch its flawed Waters of the US rule.

"We know the importance of clean water, and farmers and ranchers work hard to protect our natural resources every day.

"But this rule was never really about clean water. It was a federal land grab designed to put a straightjacket on farming and private businesses across this nation.

"That’s why our federal courts blocked it from going into effect for the past two years. Today’s announcement shows EPA Administrator Pruitt recognizes the WOTUS rule for what it is—an illegal and dangerous mistake that needs to be corrected.

"Farm Bureau looks forward to supporting Administrator Pruitt’s proposal.

"EPA should ditch this rule once and for all, go back to the drawing board, and write a new rule that protects water quality without trampling the rights of businesses and the states."

TheCattleSite News Desk

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