The Presidential candidates are split when it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the U.S. rule. Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton told Farm Futures she supports the rule that seeks to clarify the types of water the EPA can regulate under the Clean Water Act. Clinton says she would work with all parties to ensure “common sense implementation.” She also said she was pleased that EPA maintained in WOTUS the “long-standing exemptions for common farming practices.” Farm groups, however, tend to disagree and claim the EPA is ignoring the exemption. A target for agriculture, WOTUS is currently under a court-ordered stay. 13 agriculture groups are involved in a lawsuit against the rule. Republican candidate for President Donald Trump says he would scuttle WOTUS. In a statement to the American Farm Bureau Federation this week, Politico reports Trump called the rule” so extreme that it gives federal agencies control over creeks, small streams, and even puddles.” Farm Bureau used a Senate report on the Clean Water Act this week to call on Congress to act on the rule.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.