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A U.S.
court on Friday issued an order temporarily blocking the implementation of a
federal water rule across the country.
The
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit granted a nationwide stay against the
so-called Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which is intended to
clarify which bodies of water are covered by the Clean Water Act. The rule was
finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers in May but still faces political and legal opposition.
Statement
from Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau Federation President:
“A
federal court today ordered the EPA to stop enforcement nationwide of the
Waters of the United States rule. The American Farm Bureau Federation is
pleased the Sixth Circuit recognizes that this rule has serious flaws and
cannot go forward until the courts have had an opportunity to understand its
effect on farmers, ranchers and landowners of all kinds.
“The
judges expressed deep concerns over the basic legality of this rule. We’re not
in the least surprised: This is the worst EPA order we have seen since the
agency was established more than 40 years ago. The court clearly understood our
arguments.
“We
are confident that the courts will strike down this rule. Unfortunately, we
also know stays don’t last forever, and cases like this almost always take
years to win. So we again ask the Senate to pass legislation to nullify this
rule just as the House has already done. Farmers and ranchers cannot afford to
wait.”
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