From the office of U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss:
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) yesterday joined fellow Republican members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee in writing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to request immediate withdrawal of the agriculture Interpretive Rule to Waters of the United States (WOTUS).
The new agriculture rule released in conjunction with the controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) proposal could fundamentally alter interaction between farmers and the federal government, the senators argued.
“We have heard from farmers, ranchers, and other rural constituents about the Interpretive Rule and are deeply concerned it has created great confusion about what agriculture activities are exempt from regulation under the Clean Water Act,” the senators wrote in their letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Army Secretary John McHugh and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
In addition to Chambliss, signers of the letter included Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and John Thune (R-S.D.).
The WOTUS regulations, issued jointly by the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, would bring more waters – including streams, creeks, wetlands, ponds and ditches – under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act making them subject to EPA permitting requirements. The agriculture Interpretive Rule outlines just 56 activities out of more than 160 conservation practices that previously qualified for the normal farming and ranching exemption.
In their letter, the senators say the Interpretive Rule should be withdrawn because farming, ranching and rural constituencies had little opportunity to have input on the new rule.
“Beyond adding confusion and uncertainty, the Interpretive Rule would fundamentally change the relationship between the Department of Agriculture and farm families. Over decades of farm policy, USDA has established an unprecedented relationship of trust with farmers, ranchers, and rural stakeholders. This unique relationship is built on voluntary conservation programs and a mutual commitment to protecting natural resources and keeping land in agriculture. Bringing USDA into the Clean Water Act permitting process would profoundly shift the nature of this successful approach by dismantling a longstanding partnership between the Federal government and agriculture community,” the senators wrote.
The correspondence is the latest step taken by Chambliss and Republican members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee to raise concerns to the Obama administration about the WOTUS initiative. The proposed regulatory scheme was a central topic when the senators met with EPA Administrator McCarthy in July to discuss the impact of aggressive EPA regulatory expansion on agriculture and rural states. In June 2014, Senator Chambliss also joined several of his colleagues to introduce legislation to stop the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing the proposed WOTUS rule.
Now, the senators in their letter continued to call for more transparency and stakeholder involvement.
“As the Administration continues to extend the timeframe for finalization of the flawed WOTUS proposal, any further discussion of how agricultural activities may fit into this framework must allow for a transparent and public process in which the voice of American agriculture can be heard,” the senators’ letter concluded.
A signed copy of the letter is available here: http://1.usa.gov/12kL991.