From the Florida Cattlemen’s Association:
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently proposed an expansion of their federal authority over “waters of the U.S.” The agencies have proposed to redefine the definition of “Waters of the United States,” and that new definition would require cattle ranchers to get the permission of the federal government anytime they needed to expand, do maintenance, or perform routine activities like driving a tractor through a pasture.
Almost all activities on our open land will now touch a “water of the United States” under the expanded definition. Many cattle operations will be required to get Sec. 402 NPDES permits, Sec. 404 Dredge and Fill permits, or Sec. 311 Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) spill plans. The expansion flies in the face of the U.S. Constitution, the plain language of the Clean Water Act, and Congressional intent and is therefore illegal.
The proposed rule has been published in the Federal Register and is now open for comments. Tell the agency that they have stepped over the line and the proposed rule should NOT be finalized.
Click here to support the effort to defeat this overreaching guidance document by submitting comments to the EPA and Army Corps. A template is provided and will take no more than a couple minutes to send. However, please feel free to delete the template comments and share your own story! They will make the biggest impact!
Respectfully,
Ashley Lyon McDonald
NCBA Environmental Counsel