December 11, 2018       Source:  Mace Thornton, Executive Director, Communications, American Farm Bureau  macet@fb.org

State Farm Bureau presidents from across the nation attended an event today at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington to witness the signing of the proposed Clean Water Rule.  The following statement regarding the new Clean Water Rule is from American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

“Farmers and ranchers work every day to protect our nation’s waterways and drinking water.  For more than five years we have advocated for a new water rule that protects clean water and provides clear rules for people and communities to follow.  This new rule empowers farmers and ranchers to comply with the law, protect our water resources and productively work their land without having to hire an army of lawyers and consultants.

We want to protect land and water in the communities where we live and work.  Clean water is our way of life.  Preserving our land and protecting our water means healthy places to live, work and play.  We believe this new Clean Water Rule is rooted in common sense.  It will protect our nation’s water resources and allow farmers to farm.

We appreciate the months of hard work that the administration, especially the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, invested in making sure the new Clean Water Rule was done right.  Unlike the 2015 WOTUS rules, this new rule protects our resources, respects the law and provides greater clarity so the agencies and the public can identify regulated federal waterways.”