Working Together Proves Beneficial for
Farmers, Politicians
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey
Every farmer in this great state knows the importance
of water. Whether the farmer raises livestock or crops, he
needs clean water for anything to grow.
But what farmers don’t need are more regulations
from an overzealous Environmental Protection Agency
that require farm ponds, ditches and gullies to adhere
to the same strict water standards as navigable rivers,
wetlands and major lakes.
In October, I helped to write a comment letter
along with 10 other state attorneys general and six
governors challenging proposed regulations that would
redefine what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
Environmental Protection Agency consider to be “Waters
of the United States.”
We have called on the EPA and Army Corps of
Engineers to reverse course on the proposed definition
and replace it with a narrow, common-sense alternative
that provides farmers with a clearer understanding of
when they must seek permits under the Clean Water
Act. It is time for the EPA to “Ditch the Rule.”
In addition to ditching this rule, I am also urging
the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to visit states
to better understand the implications of their proposed
rules. Sadly, whether the issue involves “waters of the
United States” or the p ɽ