NCBA warns of lawsuit over Waters of the U.S.

Concerns of cattlemen regarding the U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Waters of the U.S. rule released last month are coming true, National Cattlemen's Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall said Tuesday, but that's actually generating more support for repeal efforts. "We just got some more feedback this last weekend that it's the determination of the EPA that any stock tank or pond that runs around in a flooding type event would be considered a 'water of the United States,'" he said. "So the very concerns we've had all along that the administrator has told us we don't need to worry about are coming true. I think that's helped us get the support in Congress." The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a bill to rewrite the WOTUS rule, while the House already has approved a WOTUS withdraw bill with a 261-155 vote. That bipartisan support is for bills in both the House and Senate that would curb the rule's impact on farmers, ranchers, construction industries and more...more