Clean Water Act Back in the News
With Your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers Tuesday announced a final rule amending the 2023 definition of “waters of the United States.” The final rule intends to conform with the recent Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA.
With this action, the Army Corps of Engineers will resume issuing all jurisdictional determinations. The rule will take effect immediately.
In response, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart says, “Today’s revised WOTUS definition is an important step toward bringing the EPA more in line with the Supreme Court's ruling."
AFBF President Zippy Duvall says the EPA chose to continue government overreach and revise only a small slice of the rule that the Supreme Court rejected. Duvall adds, "We're pleased the vague and confusing 'significant nexus' test has been eliminated as the Supreme Court dictated. But EPA has ignored other clear concerns raised by the Justices, 26 states, and farmers across the country about the rule's failure to respect private property rights and the Clean Water Act."
