The Waters Advocacy Coalition applauds the new Clean Water rule that brings clarity and certainty to enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
The coalition is a broad cross-section of small businesses, farmers, ranchers and builders, including the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the WOTUS replacement Thursday.
Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says AFBF supports the new rule, as it allows “farmers to understand water regulations without having to hire teams of consultants and lawyers.”
National Pork Producers Council President David Herring says the previous WOTUS rule was “a dramatic government overreach and an unprecedented expansion of federal authority over private lands.”
Now, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says the new rule removes “undue burdens and strangling regulations” from farmers.
The response from agriculture was expected, as was the response from Environmental groups.
The Natural Resources Defense Council says the Trump administration is “stripping protections” from streams and wetlands, adding “It’s a blatant disregard for science, and for public health.”
