For Immediate Release: June 10, 2014

PA Farm Bureau Thankful for Comment Period Extension on

Waters of the U.S. Proposal
(Camp Hill) Pennsylania Farm !ureau (PF!) is pleased t"e deadline "as #een e$tended to %omment on a
re%ently proposed rule t"at attempts to e$pand &ederal re'ulation oer irtually eery a%re o& &armland a%ross
t"e %ountry under ("at t"e )nironmental Prote%tion *'en%y ()P*) and *rmy Corps o& )n'ineers %all +(aters
o& t"e ,nited -tates./ Farm &amilies a%ross Pennsylania and t"e ,.-. "ad sou'"t more time to reie( and
%omment on t"e rule a&ter it (as introdu%ed #y t"e a'en%ies in *pril. Farmers, #usiness o(ners, "omeo(ners
and anyone potentially impa%ted #y t"is re'ulation no( "ae until 0%to#er 20 to su#mit %omments.
+1espite statements to t"e %ontrary, t"e %"an'es su''ested #y )P* and t"e Corps o& )n'ineers (ould
e$pand t"eir aut"ority #y allo(in' t"e a'en%ies to re'ulate land a%tiities around small %ree2s, streams and een
dit%"es t"at only "old (ater durin' "eay rain eents,/ said PF! President Carl 3. -"a&&er. +Hope&ully, t"e
a'en%ies (ill ta2e t"e opportunity t"is e$tension %reates to reie( t"e details o& t"eir o(n proposal and learn
4ust "o( &ar t"eir plans 'o #eyond t"e ori'inal intent o& t"e Clean 5ater *%t./
Farm !ureau disputes )P*6s %laims t"at a'ri%ultural e$emptions %urrently proided under t"e Clean 5ater
*%t (C5*) s"ould reliee &armers o& any need to (orry a#out t"e proposed rule. ,n&ortunately, t"ose
e$emptions are mostly limited to plo(in' and eart" moin' a%tiities and do not apply to t"e use o& &ertili7ers
or similar &arm inputs on &arm &ields. !e%ause o& t"is important detail, PF! notes, t"at many pra%ti%es in &arm
&ields %ould re8uire 'oernment approal t"rou'" a %omple$ pro%ess o& &ederal permittin', i& t"e proposed rule
#e%omes &inal.
9oreoer, an analysis o& t"e )P* proposal #y ,niersity o& Cali&ornia:!er2ley e%onomist 1r. 1aid
-undin', details "o( )P* &ailed to proide a realisti% e$planation o& t"e s%ope, %osts and #ene&its o& t"e rule.
+5e are %allin' on )P* and t"e Corps to oluntarily (it"dra( t"e proposed rule, #e%ause t"eir a%tions
%learly e$%eed t"e aut"ority t"ey "ae under t"e C5* and also i'nore t(o ,.-. -upreme Court de%isions
limitin' t"eir aut"ority to nai'a#le (aters,/ added -"a&&er.
PF! produ%ed a ideo to &urt"er e$plain t"e issue, you %an see it ia our "omepa'e at (((.p&#.%om or #y
usin' t"e &ollo(in' lin2: "ttp:;;yt%"annelem#ed.%om;ideos;(at%";<t2ldJ%0=2s>.,?d##i4#@*A. 9ore
in&ormation is also aaila#le at "ttp:;;dit%"t"erule.&#.or'.
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is the states largest farm organization with a volunteer membership of more than
58,300 farm and rural families, representing farms of every size and ommodity aross the state!
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