EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler got a warm welcome when he addressed the Board of Directors meeting for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Friday and was able to proudly list repeal of the 2015 “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in the accomplishments his agency has made for farmers and ranchers.

“If you didn’t spontaneously applaud at that one I was going to reinstate it,” Wheeler joked to the applause. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall tweeted, “Would you have ever imagined an EPA Administrator getting a standing ovation from a room full of cattle producers? Happened at our board meeting as @EPAAWheeler talked about wins such as the repeal and replacement of WOTUS.”

Wheeler says the new Navigable Waters Protection Rule “strikes the proper balance between Washington and the states in managing land and water resources while protecting our nation’s navigable waters” and his hope is that now farmers and ranchers can “refocus on their livelihoods instead of meeting with consultants and lawyers.”

Listen to Wheeler’s remarks and press gaggle from the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show.
CIC2020 Remarks from Andrew Wheeler, EPA 20:06

Multi-media content from the convention can be found here:
2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Virtual Newsroom