A federal judge has put the brakes on the controversial “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule in several states, and that has gained praise from the chairman of the Senate Ag Committee. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) welcomed the preliminary injunction to stop the WOTUS rule in North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and New Mexico.

“This is great news for parts of agriculture and rural America,” said Roberts. “I have been opposed to this ridiculous rule from its inception. The WOTUS rule is nothing but a land grab under the guise of the Clean Water Act, and I’ll continue to keep fighting the good fight to push back against EPA’s federal overreach.”

The WOTUS rule, which expands federal jurisdiction over land and waterways, has received considerable criticism from a variety of industries – including agriculture. Kansas’ lawsuit was filed with several other states in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, which denied the plea. Multiple rulings undoubtedly leads to added confusion for landowners and farmers and ranchers.

Roberts’ committee held a hearing on the WOTUS rule in March, and the senator introduced legislation in April to stop implementation of the WOTUS rule, which was approved by the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and is now waiting on the Senate floor.