Pennsylvania Farm Bureau celebrates delay of WOTUS implementation

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) applauded the Sixth Circuit Court decision to temporarily block the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers’ Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule on Oct. 9, which it criticized for being overly burdensome to Pennsylvania farmers.

“The rule is scientifically and legally flawed and clearly goes well beyond the authority granted to the agencies through the Clean Water Act,” PFB President Rick Ebert said. “We are pleased that the court will have an opportunity to evaluate and understand the rule’s impact on farmers, businesses, local communities and other landowners.”

According to the PFB statement, the EPA’s expanded definition of waters under its authority will put nearly all of Pennsylvania’s land mass under its purview, requiring more permitting and imposing new land use restrictions on farmers and other land owners.

“Despite overwhelming evidence that WOTUS lacks legal and scientific credibility, which have been documented by the Army Corps of Engineers, EPA continues to aggressively push for the implementation of the rule,” Ebert said. “It’s time for EPA to ditch the rule and begin a new conversation with farmers and other stakeholders, who are also interested in improving water quality.”