The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sent a final rule to the White House that would prevent the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule from taking effect.
The EPA rushed the rule to the White House because of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling placing the legal jurisdiction of the rule in federal district courts, not federal appeals courts, where a stay was issued against the original rule. The Supreme Court ruling will lift that delay, allowing WOTUS to go into effect in 37 states.
EPA water chief Davis Ross told Politico the rushed delay rule would be finalized within a month.
Farm groups, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, have long opposed the Obama-era rule. During an event with AFBF members last year, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt said the EPA will bring more certainty in water regulation for farmers and ranchers through a repeal and replacement effort.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.