“Barrasso’s bipartisan effort, which would force the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to revise the rule, is exactly the way to go about this. The legislation would still protect navigable waterways and one of our treasured natural resources. But it would also represent the voices of Wyoming ranchers and landowners – a perspective that is truly important in the nation’s capital. We urge lawmakers and environmental officials to listen.”
Small Compromise on Water is a Big Deal
By: Editorial Board
June 4, 2015
Yes, we should protect our water. It’s an invaluable natural resource that demands our care and attention.
But should we also extend federal protection to isolated ponds and ditches that don’t have enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters?
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, doesn’t think so, and he’s among a group of senators who share that belief. They’re working on legislation that would slightly ease a recent proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA wants to extend federal authority over smaller waterways, like tributaries and wetlands. Under the final rules of the proposal, landowners who wanted to do anything that might disrupt or pollute those smaller bodies would have to get permits under the Clean Water Act to do so.
In Wyoming, that could have a tremendous impact on ranching and private farms. The rule does specify that it doesn’t apply to typical farming and ranching operations, but Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, said many in the state will be hard-pressed to put a finger on exactly what’s OK and what’s not. A clearer rule would be much better for Wyomingites.
In the past, we’ve encouraged the state to be judicious about how it pushes back against the feds. This, though, is exactly the kind of overreach Wyoming should be challenging. We’re glad Barrasso and his bipartisan colleagues see it the same way.
After all, legislation like this is the reason Wyoming’s congressional delegation is in Washington. We elect them to be our voice, to speak up for a way of life that many people in the nation’s capital don’t know much about.
Sen. Mike Enzi and Rep. Cynthia Lummis, as well as Gov. Matt Mead, don’t support the EPA proposal as written. Enzi characterized it as a control grab, while Lummis described it as “a federal seizure of state waters” that was a byproduct of a “broken public process.”
Barrasso’s bipartisan effort, which would force the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to revise the rule, is exactly the way to go about this. The legislation would still protect navigable waterways and one of our treasured natural resources. But it would also represent the voices of Wyoming ranchers and landowners – a perspective that is truly important in the nation’s capital. We urge lawmakers and environmental officials to listen.
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