Published in the News-Gazette on September 19, 2014:
There seems to be much confusion regarding the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed rules regarding the Clean Water Act. These rules generally referenced as Waters of the United States have been described as “the largest land grab in history” on rural radio and something akin to regulating every drop in the ditch out here in corn country.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, the number of exemptions to agricultural industries and farmers has been extended, and the rules just don’t burden property rights.
While our Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, speculates on the Illinois Farm Bureau website: “There’s a trust gap between EPA and the agricultural community,” in truth EPA and the Corps are doing a successful science-based job at protecting the waters our children and grandchildren drink.
I suggest the trust gap is between Davis and the public. By playing election-year politics with the most precious commodity in the biosphere, he’s attempting to coddle the Big Ag support he needs to win re-election.
SCOTT DOSSETT (Prairie Rivers Network member)
Urbana
PDF version of the News-Gazette LTE.
