EPA’s waters rule would hit farmers, Republicans say

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) controversial waters regulation would have “dire and significant consequences” for American farmers, Republican lawmakers said Tuesday.

The EPA already regulates larger bodies of water, but the agency proposed last spring to expand its jurisdiction to include smaller water sources like streams and ponds.

Farmers have expressed concerns that the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule would allow the EPA to regulate ditches, ponds, and even puddles on their lands.

This is one of biggest arguments from Republicans who are opposed to the EPA’s waters rule.

“The implications for farmers…will be severe,” Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) said Tuesday during a hearing.

Thompson urged the EPA to withdraw the proposed rule, because it “misses the mark.”

“We continually hear testimony that the proposal will allow the EPA the ability to regulate essentially any body of water, such as a farm pond or even a ditch — even if that farm pond or ditch is dry during much of the year,” Thompson said.

The top Democrat on the subcommittee noted the importance of protecting the nation’s water resources.

“As a representative from a state that is currently in a historic drought, projected to become a mega-drought over the next several decades, I understand the importance of protecting this scare resource that is essential for farmers, ranchers, municipalities, consumers, and fish and wildlife,” Rep. Michelle Grisham (D-N.M.) said during the hearing.