Agricultural News
NCBA Continues the Fight Against WOTUS
Mon, 02 May 2016 20:02:15 CDT
Farmers and ranchers have spent several years speaking out against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "waters of the United States" rule. While the U.S. Court of Appeal for the 6th Circuit issued a stay of the rule last fall, Colin Woodall, vice president of governmental affairs with National Cattlemen's Beef Association, says the fight may continue into the next presidential administration.
The regulation continues to make its way through the legal system, and Woodall says NCBA appealed a recent decision to keep the case in the 6th Circuit.
"We felt we had a much better chance going into the Southern District of Texas, where that judge was a little bit more appreciative of everything we're going through in the overreach we have seen from the EPA," he says.
Although the appeal was denied, it may not be the end of the road for those who oppose the rule.
"Since the 6th Circuit is going to maintain their jurisdiction, more than likely they will also maintain their stay. So from one perspective, that's good because we need that stay in place in order to prevent enforcement by the EPA," he says. "Another good thing is that we would probably get to the Supreme Court a little bit faster. By starting at the appellate level, that means it will get to the Supreme Court a little bit quicker.
WOTUS has been criticized by NCBA and other agricultural organizations because it significantly expands federal jurisdiction over bodies of waters - like ditches and low-lying areas - covered under the Clean Water Act. Woodall says the lawsuits some of these organizations filed to stop WOTUS will likely be combined and added with those from several attorneys general and other parties.
Listen to Woodall's complete WOTUS update during the latest edition of the Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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