Depending on who you talk to, the fresh crop of water rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency worries farmers, reeks of a federal power grab or merely clarifies what waters fall under federal regulation. Here’s a compilation of comments that express various views.
“The draft guidance is clear that irrigation ditches, drainage ponds and even groundwater are not considered waters of the U.S.; nor are gullies, rills, swales and other erosional features,” said Jan Goldman-Carter, a lawyer who works with the National Wildlife Federation on water issues. “This has been explained over and over again.” Industry claims that ditches or groundwater might be covered under the new regulations are “just wrong,” she said.
“They can say farmers won’t be impacted by this expansion of authority, but the truth is, we just don’t know,” said Don Parrish, senior director of regulatory relations with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “And from what we have seen from the draft of the regulations, it’s really hard to tell.”
“Beyond sounding ridiculous, this rule will impact farmers, energy producers and any private citizens that use their land for economic or recreational purposes,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
“The EPA wants to regulate not just ‘navigable’ waters, but every water,” Sen. Johnny Isakson said. “This is yet another overstep by the administration that will harm not only landowners, but our entire agriculture industry in Georgia. I will continue to push to repeal onerous regulations and to prevent the administration from imposing new taxes through more regulations.”
“If you are not sufficiently confused, then you have not been paying attention,” said Bryan Tolar, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. “This is a real screwed-up mess.”
“Bureaucratic decision-making has no place in Georgia farm country,” said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, former chairman and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Landowners have dealt with overreaching federal regulations for too long, and this latest move by the administration claiming they are ‘helping’ farmers and landowners is outrageous.”
“Our challenge is to make sure that we work through challenges and concerns that the agriculture community has, that we listen to those concerns, and we produce rules that help us do our mission, which is to protect public health, the environment, drinking water supplies and natural resources that we all rely on,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
Sources: New York Times, Associated Press, Athens Banner-Herald, Albany Herald and hoosieragtoday.com.
