EPA leaders told the newly formed Rural Task Force that the rewrite of the Waters of the U.S. Rule will be done in two phases. First, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will withdraw the original regulation and following that a hearing will be held involving rural stakeholders. Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association President Krist Wollum says that’s a positive way to fix this problematic regulation.

He says the biggest issue they have with the original rule is the overreach of government power.

South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal says it’s positive that rural stakeholders will have an opportunity to be heard on any WOTUS rewrite and that the head of EPA doesn’t like the original regulation.

VanderWal says the original WOTUS rule was never needed in the first place, since environmental protections were already part of existing law through the Clean Water Act.