U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, hosted a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss the concerns surrounding the proposed “Waters of the United States” rule and the potential impact it could have on rural areas of the nation.
“Despite strong bipartisan opposition from Congress and the public, the Obama administration has acted to expand its federal authority,” Thompson said. “The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule could have serious consequences for our nation and prove to be a severe detriment to our economy, with a particularly strong impact in rural counties. Hasty movement from the EPA will only invite costly litigation, burden states and counties with compliance costs, and create obstacles to building and replacing our national infrastructure.”
The Clean Water Act (CWA) was signed into law in 1972, establishing a partnership between federal and state governments, so that U.S. bodies of water could be efficiently regulated and managed through a range of pollution and control programs. The law said it is the “policy of the Congress to recognize, preserve and protect the primary responsibilities and rights of State to prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution, to plan the development and use (including restoration, preservation and enhancement) of land and water resources, and to consult with the administrator of the (Environmental Protection Agency) in the exercise of his authority under this Act.”
At Tuesday’s hearing, members of the subcommittee said the Obama administration had acted individually, without any input from the states or other stakeholders, to intentionally broaden the scope of the CWA, which poses a threat to the livelihood of farmers, ranchers and other aspects of rural America.
“Rather than strengthening the law, this rule creates more confusion. These actions highlight a disturbing pattern of an administration that is out of touch with farmers, ranchers and rural land owners. The testimony received today further outlines the need for the EPA to pull the rule and move for further consultation with states, counties and stakeholders. There is too much on the line to continue down the current path,” Thompson said.
The witnesses who testified at the hearing included Jeff Witte, director/secretary, New Mexico Department of Agriculture; Robert ‘Pete’ Smeltz, Clinton County commissioner; Joseph Fox, state forester, Arkansas Forestry Commission; Martha Clark Mettler, deputy assistant commissioner, Office of Water Quality, Indiana Department of Environmental Management; Ellen Steen, general counsel and secretary, American Farm Bureau Federation; Jonathan Gledhill, president, Policy Navigation Group; Russ Biggica, director of government, legislative and economic development, Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA); Sledge Taylor, a cotton, corn, soybean, wheat, sorghum and peanut producer from Como, Mississippi; and Steve Foglesong, a livestock producer from Astoria, Illinois.