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Clean Water Restoration Act Opposed by Farm Bureau

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, standing water from rain in a dry area could be impacted by the Clean Water Restoration Act, which leaves no water unregulated in the U.S. Farm Bureau sent a letter to Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Ranking Member James Inhofe, R-Okla., Friday asking them to oppose the legislation. The letter states the group supports protection of U.S. navigable waters, which are already protected under the act today.

The letter states the regulatory reach of the act would extend to all water including farm ponds, gutters and puddles of rainwater. It also states that unregulated activities would require federal permits and those permits would be subject to challenge in federal court, delaying those activities to the detriment of the economy. Farm Bureau believes getting rid of the term navigable as a condition for regulation under the act would give the federal government the right to exert inordinate control over private property.