U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Civil Works have now published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2017, the proposed WOTUS Rule that would rescind the 2015 WOTUS rulemaking. The rule is open for public comment until September 27, 2017 (extended from the original deadline of August 28). UEP will be submitting comments, working with the Waters Advocacy Coalition and the Agricultural Nutrient Policy Council. UEP members and representatives from our allied companies will be able to sign a group petition to be sent to U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in support of their proposal. UEP will also have available a short template of a letter that individuals could adapt and use to submit an individual comment if desired; this will be emailed and distributed at the UEP Area Meetings.

Per the August 17 Politico Morning Ag: “(US EPA Administrator Scott) Pruitt appeared in a video released Wednesday for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association urging farmers and ranchers to make sure they formally submitted comments before the deadline. ‘This record being made is so important because it helps us make informed decisions,’ Pruitt said, being careful not to specify what the comment should sound like.”

Photo credit: Oklahoma Farm Report