The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers Monday announced a series of teleconferences regarding the repeal and revision of the Waters of the U.S. rule. Nine of the conferences will focus on a specific sector, including agriculture, conservation, small entities, construction, and others. The teleconferences will run throughout the fall on Tuesdays beginning September 19, 2017. The …
EPA and the Army Seek Input in the Review of the Waters of the U.S. Rule
Stakeholder sessions will be held weekly between September and November The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) will hold 11 sessions to give stakeholders an opportunity to provide recommendations on a revised definition of “waters of the United States.” The agencies will hold nine, 2-hour long teleconferences that will be tailored for specific …
Groups See Pruitt NCBA Video Biased Against WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s appearance in a video with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is drawing criticism from critics and so-called government ethics experts. The Cattle Network reports that critics say Pruitt inaccurately uses industry talking points to describe the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule and that his comments sound as if he has already made up …
EPA Extends WOTUS Repeal Comment Period
The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the deadline to submit comments on the Waters of the U.S. Rule repeal effort. The EPA announced Thursday that it, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, will accept comment through September 27th. The original deadline for the comment period was set for August 28th. The EPA formally proposed to repeal the rule in …
EPA Administrator Asks Cattlemen to Submit WOTUS Comments
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association released a video featuring Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, in which Pruitt urges farmers and ranchers to submit official comments on the repeal of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule before the Agency’s deadline of Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. “When comments are made a part of a record – as rule-making – we have an …
Army Corps Gives Input in Florida-Georgia Water War
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, News Service of Florida The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a key player in Florida’s decades-old legal fight with Georgia over water flow in the Apalachicola River, has weighed into the pending case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal agency’s comments, which were filed in a brief Monday, are important because a special master has recommended …
WOTUS Comment Period Ends August 28
It was announced back at the end of June by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt that the EPA had sent its repeal of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule to the federal register, thus beginning the process of ending the regulation. A comment period on WOTUS has been open but it will end August 28th. National Cattlemen’s …
New Leader Picked for South Florida Water Management District
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida A key player on Everglades issues was elevated Monday to become executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, replacing Pete Antonacci who is leaving to become Gov. Rick Scott’s top business recruiter. The district’s Governing Board unanimously agreed during a teleconference to promote Ernie Marks, district director of Everglades policy and …
EPA, U.S. Army Move to Rescind 2015 “Waters of the U.S.”
The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Army, and Army Corps of Engineers (the agencies) are proposing a rule to rescind the Clean Water Rule and re-codify the regulatory text that existed prior to 2015 defining “waters of the United States” or WOTUS. This action would, when finalized, provide certainty in the interim, pending a second rulemaking in which the agencies …
EWG Study Finds High Nitrate Levels in Rural Drinking Water Systems
The Environmental Working Group says rural water systems have high levels of nitrates. A new report and database released by EWG this week found that the 30 utilities with the distinction of the highest nitrate contamination in tests between 2010 and 2015 all exceeded the legal limit. And all 30 served small populations in rural, farm-based economies, according to Politico. …