Ag groups are reacting to the Environmental Protection Agency’s final revisions to the Worker Protection Standard. The American Farm Bureau Federation worries the government is getting away from a science-based approach in guarding against risk. “Farm Bureau shares the agency’s desire to protect workers, but we are concerned that the agency is piling regulatory costs on farmers and ranchers that …
Senator Roberts Happy About WOTUS Decision
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 …
Judge Blocks WOTUS
The day before the controversial rule formally known as the Waters of the US (WOTUS) was to be implemented, a federal judge in North Dakota has blocked it from taking effect. U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson of North Dakota on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction against implementation of the Clean Water regulation, saying a group of 13 states was likely …
MO Farm Bureau Speaks Out Against Over Regulation
The Missouri Farm Bureau has put together interactive maps to give a feel of how the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule that goes into effect this weekend will impact the state. Well over 95% of the state of Missouri will qualify as a water of the U.S. under this rule. I spoke with Blake Hurst, president of the …
MO Farm Bureau Takes WOTUS to the Fair Again
You might remember that Missouri Farm Bureau held a “Ditch the Rule” press conference last year at the State Fair featuring three members of the state’s Congressional delegation. With the controversial rule now finalized and scheduled to be implemented August 28, MOFB held another press conference at the fair last week – this time with four members of Congress. Representatives …
Farm Bureau: EPA Massively Increasing Its Authority
New maps released by Farm Bureau shows the federal government is massively increasing its authority at the cost of American producers. This news release from the group says the Environmental Protection Agency will radically expand its jurisdiction over land use if its controversial Waters of the United States rule takes effect as expected Aug. 28. That expansion comes even as …
Prez Candidate Rand Paul: Stop EPA Farmland Grab
Republican Presidential Candidate and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is kicking off his first Iowa radio campaign ad “decrying the Obama Administration’s land grab of Iowa farmland”. The radio ad will be heard on farm radio stations. The ad is focused on the Waters of the US legislation and highlights the devastating consequences of the new regulation. “In Washington, DC, President …
AFBF: Secrecy, Misconduct at EPA on WOTUS
A series of memos the Obama Administration intended to keep private shows a culture of secrecy, falsehood and dysfunction that permeated the Waters of the U.S. rulemaking process. The American Farm Bureau charges the Army Corps of Engineers memos show the Corps “repeatedly rebuked EPA officials for their abuse of the rulemaking process in producing the deeply controversial Waters of …
Corn Growers to Protest EPA Proposal on Ethanol
Corn farmers are going to make their voice heard on the Obama Administration’s cuts to ethanol. The National Corn Growers Association says producers from more than a dozen states are expected to turn out at a public hearing and rally in Kansas City, Kansas, this Thursday, protesting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to slash nearly 4 billion gallons …
Agriculture Reacts to WOTUS Final Rule
Agricultural organizations are analyzing the final Clean Water Act Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule released today to determine whether it answers the concerns they have raised about the impact the regulation would have on farmers and ranchers, but most express reservations. “We are undertaking a thorough analysis of the final WOTUS rule to determine whether the Environmental Protection Agency …