The Nebraska Farm Bureau is backing legislation in Congress to eliminate the EPA’s NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit) rule. Since 2011 this additional Clean Water Act permit has been required for certain pesticide applications even though they’re already regulated. Farm Bureau National Affairs Coordinator Jordan Dux says bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to push back against the regulation. He says they’re also advising their members and other producers to make comments before the March 11 deadline.

The NPDES Permit Program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Dux says as a result, this rule often gets confused with another Clean Water rule.

Dux thinks this legislation has a good chance of passing and maybe even withstanding a Presidential veto.

The House Agriculture Committee has already approved the measure known as the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act. The full Senate is waiting to act on a similar measure that cleared the Environment and Public Works committee.