WOTUS
Foes try new route after WOTUS attack fails
The Senate could vote as early as today on a "legislative veto" of the Obama administration's "waters of the United States" regulation after Democrats thwarted a bill calling for EPA to rewrite the rule. Farm groups have taken the lead in attacking WOTUS, which defines the upstream reach of the Clean Water Act, as a power grab wrapped in the guise of federal jurisdiction of navigable waters. With 60 votes needed, an attempt failed, 57-41, to bring the WOTUS bill to debate. Sponsored by Wyoming Republican John Barrasso, the bill would instruct EPA to start over on WOTUS and give it instructions on how to write the new version.
Senate panel approves bill to override clean-water rule
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a bill to obviate the recently issued "waters of the United States" rule that defines the upstream reach of the Clean Water Act.
Expect ethanol, clean-water rules this spring, says EPA chief
EPA administrator Gina McCarthy says the agency will issue rules this spring that set the ethanol mandate and define the upstream reach of clean-water laws, according to DTN, but she did not offer a specific date for the announcement.
EPA withdraws interpretive rule for Waters of United States
The government withdrew the so-called interpretive rule for its Waters of the United States proposal, a step that farm groups said was required by the omnibus appropriations bill enacted at the end of 2015.
Roberts says regulatory overkill is top Ag Committee issue
Chairman Pat Roberts says the big issue confronting the Senate Agriculture Committee is "regulatory overkill we are experiencing with every agency" and particularly with the EPA. Roberts mentioned regulatory reform twice while listing committee priorities for this session. "We've got a lot of priorities," he said, citing reauthorization of the CFTC, the mandatory livestock price reporting law, and child nutrition programs - "big time." Regulatory reform, he said, "seems to be the big thing" in farm country.
EPA to issue Waters of United States rule despite controversy
EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said the agency will complete its Waters of the United States rule and is "still looking at spring" as the likely release date, says DTN.
Child nutrition rules “in play” as spending bill is written
During negotiations over a long-term spending bill, "(c)hild nutrition standards backed by First Lady Michelle Obama were in play," says Politico.
For food and agriculture, a lengthy to-do list for Congress
Congress is to open its new, two-year session on Tuesday with a hefty list of food and agriculture policy issues already on the agenda for lawmakers. The "to do" list includes reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and federal child nutrition programs such as school lunch and WIC, proposals for federal pre-emption of states in labeling foods made with genetically modified organisms, attempts to block EPA from completing its...
Agriculture’s top hope for lame duck – revival of tax breaks
Congress is fairly likely during its post-election session to revive a package of tax incentives that expired on Jan 1, said the leaders of the two largest U.S. farm groups. The package includes the $1 a gallon tax credit for biodiesel, tax credits for wind and solar power, and generous write-offs for purchases of equipment and other assets. Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, told reporters the so-called tax extenders package was...
EPA extends comment period on Waters of United States rule
EPA extended the comment period on its clean water rule known as "Waters of the United States" until Nov 14; a three-week extension. Some 217,134 comments were filed as of Monday.
Calm farm fears on water rule, senators ask administration
Thirteen Democratic senators asked the administration to quell concerns in farm country about what is covered by the so-called Waters of the United States rule.
Half of river water comes from intermittent streams, say researchers
As a result of the Supreme Court decision on the upstream reach of antipollution laws, half of the water in U.S. rivers comes from so-called ephemeral streams that are now without federal protection, said researchers from the University of Massachusetts and Yale on Thursday.