Late Thursday we heard U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson of North Dakota issued a preliminary injunction against implementation of the Clean Water regulation, saying a group of 13 states was likely to succeed in their lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency regulation as unlawful. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Philip Ellis statement regarding federal court ruling in North Dakota that … Read More
Army Corps Criticizes EPA for Flawed Rulemaking
The Army Corps of Engineers serves as the primary regulator over Environmental Protection Agency’s “waters of the United States” rule. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released internal memos stating the Corp doesn’t believes the rule will not hold up in the courts and it misinterprets data. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has called for the EPA to immediately … Read More
ASA Says Biodiesel Production Helps Livestock Industry
While the American Soybean Association (ASA) is happy the latest proposal for biodiesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is higher than it was, they would still like to see more. At last week’s Ag Media Summit, ASA president and farmer Wade Cowan of Texas said they want the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to understand that more biodiesel production actually … Read More
NCBA: EPA Writes off Rural America
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized its “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) proposed rule, which unilaterally strips private property rights and adds hundreds of thousands of stream miles and acres of land to federal jurisdiction. In the Clean Water Act, they added language to the law that leaves regulation up to the subjectivity of individual regulators across the country. By … Read More
Iowa Cattleman Shows Support for Ethanol
Iowa cattle producer and ethanol advocate Bill Couser was a man on a mission last week in Washington DC with the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Fly-In. Couser finally got a sit down with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy to talk about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and other issues. “I was able to schedule a half hour with … Read More
EPA and Corps Withdraw WOTUS Interpretive Rule
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the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section related to the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) was officially withdrawn by EPA and the Corps in a memo last Thursday, January 29.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 … Read More
Livestock Provisions in CRomnibus
The Senate passed the so-called “CRomnibus” Saturday evening by a vote of 56 to 40. The $1.1 trillion measure to keep the government funded through September 2015 includes several provisions important to agriculture. “This legislation contains important policy provisions that prevent the government from reaching into the lives of ordinary American citizens,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK). “Provisions like those … Read More
Milk Producers Ask for Changes to WOTUS Rule
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) wants some changes to the proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) regulation. This news release from the group outlines what it wants the Environmental Protection Agency to do about the controversial proposal that could greatly expand the waterways subject to regulation under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). NMPF, the voice of more than … Read More
Poultry Producers: Waters of U.S. Rule Would Burden Ops
Poultry producers are warning that the controversial proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule would significantly burden their operations. In a news release, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the proposed rule developed by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ … Read More
Future of Ag Wants Feds to Ditch the Rule
Producers who will be the future of agriculture are telling the federal government to keep an unpopular water rule from having a future of its own. This news release from Farm Bureau says the group’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee wants the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers to ditch the proposed Waters of the U.S. … Read More