WOTUS, or Waters of the United States, is a rule that essentially gives the EPA jurisdiction over streams and wetlands to prevent pollution and uphold the Clean Waters Act. But now, that jurisdiction is a little muddy after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of some private landowners and against the EPA’s control.
This ruling symbolizes that millions of acres of private property are exempt from certain regulations by the EPA. A win for agriculture producers everywhere.
“That confining of the federal jurisdiction to what the law says as opposed to what the agency says is a significant victory,” said North Dakota, Senator Kevin Cramer. “Not just for energy and not just for developers and agriculture but really for states, and states’ rights and for the principle of cooperative federalism. And that’s where this court has really put down its marker and really shined in an appropriate way.”
Some of the Supreme Court Justices say the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overextended its powers after telling an Idaho couple to stop constructing a home they were building on an empty lot near Priest Lake. Now, the definition of WOTUS under the clean waters act has moved from ‘Waters of the U.S.’ to ‘navigable waters’. Essentially giving more power to the state to decide if a project violates the clean waters act or not.
“We care more about it than the federal government ever will. Which is why the sustainability of clean water and clean land is really in much better hands at the state level than it is at the federal level,” said Sen. Cramer.
More than 80% of the state was under the Waters of the United States, before this ruling. Now, more than 80% of our ag and energy producers will save money not having to file permits with the Army Corps of Engineers or the EPA and will have more freedom over their land, effective immediately. But environmentalists are up in arms about the recent ruling.
Source: kxnet.com
Photo Credit: pexels-Adam Sondel
Categories: North Dakota, Sustainable Agriculture