Feenstra Slams Biden Administration over Burdensome WOTUS Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a House Agriculture Committee hearing, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) slammed the Biden Administration over its burdensome and overreaching Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

Feenstra particularly noted that basic farming activities like plowing, building fences, and moving dirt would require federal permits under the Biden Administration’s new WOTUS regulations, which unduly burdens Iowa’s farmers and producers.

You can watch Feenstra’s full remarks below

Feenstra’s remarks are as follows:

“Mr. Twining, I’ve got a quick question for you. The other thing that I’m hearing from my 36 counties and ag people is obviously the Waters of the U.S. and the unprecedented ruling that came down from the EPA where they doubled down on expanding the significant nexus test on navigable waters.

And you think through what this actually does. I think about being a farmer and, all of a sudden, you have water in your crick or your pond or coming out of one of your tiles, and it’s regulated by the EPA. I mean, frankly, whether it be plowing, moving a fence, putting in a fence, it is all now under the jurisdiction of the EPA, which in essence, could fine them if not done correctly or if they didn’t get a permit. Again, not even thinking about it, farmers would have to get a permit if this is actually the case.

Can you explain further to me how this is truly detrimental to our farming community and how are farmers probably know best?”

Mr. Michael Twining, who is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Willard Agri-Service, responded as follows, validating Feenstra’s concerns on behalf of Iowa farmers and producers:

“Yes, sir. We deal with growers from 20 acres to 12,000 acres as an ag retailer, and we’re on their operations every day. And, to not have the certainty that you can perform any type of operation, whether that’s an application of a pest control product or a plant nutrition product, or to do something as simple as plant or harvest a crop based on whether or not we got a big rain the night before. To not have that clear definition creates tremendous uncertainty that really just paralyzes our ability to do business and to produce food in an efficient manner.”

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