All things water were discussed this morning during the Food Dialogues: Toledo event. On August 2, 2014 a toxic algal bloom caused nearly 500,000 people to be without water. The event led to discussions around how to balance the need for clean water with the need for food. The conversation was continued through two panel discussions with the first panel, …
Toledo Food Dialogues Focused on Water
Are you watching Food Dialogues: Toledo? EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy mentioned the Toledo water crisis last year in her announcement yesterday on the final Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule to point out the importance of clean water to industry. The question being addressed during today’s U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Food Dialogues is “How do we balance our …
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 …
Administration Finalizes WOTUS with Few Changes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army finalized the Clean Water Rule that has become known as the Waters of the United States or WOTUS. According to EPA, the rule “ensures that waters protected under the Clean Water Act are more precisely defined and predictably determined, making permitting less costly, easier, and faster for businesses and industry.” The …
Water is Focus of USFRA Toledo Food Dialogues
Last year’s toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio, that left half a million people without clean water, underscored the delicate balance that exists between farming and drinking supplies. So it’s no wonder the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) chose Toldeo as the site for the next Food Dialogues on Thursday, May 28, starting at 9 a.m. …
Senators Call for Revised WOTUS
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators today introduced a bill that would repeal EPA’s “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) proposal. The senators, including John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), jointly introduced the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, directing EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers …
Celebrate National Groundwater Awareness Week
National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 8-14, is a good time to learn how to become a good steward of our very important natural resource. Ninety-nine percent of all available freshwater in the world is groundwater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That means all the world’s rivers, lakes, and streams make up only one percent. “Life as we know it …
Iowa Ag Secretary Honored for Water Quality Initiative
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey received a National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) National Environmental Achievement Award for excellence in Public Service. Northey is the first state Secretary of Agriculture to receive the award. NACWA’s Public Service Award is presented to current or former elected or appointed public officials at the local, state and federal level of government …
Daugherty Water for Food Institute Moving Forward
As the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI) enters its second five-year phase of development, 2016 will bring a planned leadership transition. Founding executive director Roberto Lenton will be transitioning out of that position by the end of this year. “I was — and remain — very excited about the opportunity to position …
WOTUS Interpretive Rule Withdrawn
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have at least ditched part of the WOTUS rule. The Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section related to the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) was officially withdrawn by EPA and the Corps in a memo last Thursday, January 29. Congress requested asked for …