Agricultural producers are celebrating a federal judge's ruling that has blocked, at least temporarily, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) implementation of the Waters of the U.S. regulation, which would give the federal government new power to regulate streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) said the ruling provides “breathing room” for grower concerns to be discussed in court.
But EPA said it will apply the regulation in states that were not party to the lawsuit that resulted in the judge's ruling. That move is being questioned by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), which has requested EPA and the Corps of Engineers to suspend implementation of the regulations pending a permanent resolution to the case. The 13 states where enforcement has been blocked are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.