WATER POLICY: EPA chief reaches out to farmers on muddled rule proposal

E&E ^ | July 9, 2014 | Annie Snider

[george76]

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Obama administration's attempt to assuage farmers' and ranchers' fears about a major Clean Water Act proposal has drawn flak from all corners, forcing the U.S. EPA administrator herself to concede yesterday that there are "legitimate concerns" with the effort.

At issue is the interpretive rule for agriculture that the Obama administration released in March in tandem with a major proposal to increase the number of streams and wetlands that receive automatic Clean Water Act protection following years of regulatory uncertainty.

Administrator Gina McCarthy said on a call with reporters yesterday that the interpretive rule was intended to clarify which farming practices fall under the 1972 water law's exemptions for normal farming practices "so that there's no need for us to have ongoing dialogue about what's normal and what isn't."

But a list of 56 specific conservation practices included in the interpretive rule has sparked much confusion and anger

...

lawmakers, particularly on the Republican side, weren't convinced. Some said they didn't trust EPA to give them accurate information. At least one reiterated calls for the agency to scrap the rule.

[blueplum]

standards set by the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)...Some groups contend that the requirement that projects meet NRCS standards would place the USDA agency in a new, regulatory role. "As a conservation organization promoting voluntary stewardship, we think it is critical that NRCS not act as nor be perceived as remotely regulatory in the agricultural community," Earl Garber, president of the National Association of Conservation Districts, told EPA in his written comments on the rule...

enviroweenies appear to have taken over the USDA.

[Graewoulf]

Just assign the entire EPA to some obscure US House Sub-committee, and fire every last one of them, starting with any Union Members.

[V K Lee]

The regime should know a great deal about ‘muddy waters’ And so should the MFM...they have been carrying for such a long time, surely they are exhausted by now.

[Hildy]

This rule will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I don’t know one local government entity that isn’t fighting this to the end. They just can’t help themselves..they want complete and total power.

[Sequoyah101]

I wasted a day and went down to talk to the meatheads at NRCS about pasture improvement methods. I thought they might have some best practices or survey and recommendation process for the area and soil types.

NOTHING, NADA, ZIP

The envirowenie babe told me that if I wanted better bermuda to “manage for bermuda”. Brilliant.

They were most interested however in getting me signed up for some program to get money for cross fencing and some other crap. Gave me a stack of paper to fill out. I threw it in their trash as I walked out the door. I can build my own damn fence the way I want it built and I don’t need their effin hooks and stinking feet on my property!