The National Corn Growers Association is urging all farmers to contact EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy advocating for a revision of the proposed Waters of the U.S. rulemaking.
As proposed, this rule would significantly expand the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act and would only further muddy the waters for farmers seeking clarity as to what is and what is not subject to federal regulation.
NCGA has many serious concerns regarding the impact the proposed rule could have on U.S. farmers. NCGA's concerns fall into four main areas:
- Farmers will face tremendous uncertainty because of the way the rule defines what is a tributary and what is an adjacent water subject to the Clean Water Act.
- The proposed rule represents a significant expansion of federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction relative to anything that has ever been covered in a previous rulemaking and contradicts two U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
- The vast numbers of ditches that would be subject to federal jurisdiction.
- Farmers will be required to obtain NPDES permits or face the threat of citizen action suits challenging the use of fertilizers and pesticides on or near drainage features that are made jurisdictional.
Click here to take action now.
Read more about WOTUS here, here, here and here: Nebraska Ag Groups Say No to EPA's Water Rule.
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