Farmers and ranchers across the land are breathing a great sigh of relief as a North Dakota federal district judge granted an injunction on the Waters of te United States, or WOTUS regulations as proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Many agriculture organizations were opposed to the EPA’s regulations and thought they were to be far-reaching, and restrictive, and imposing on private property rights.  National Cattlemen Beef Association is one of those organizations opposed to the EPA’s proposed regulations as part of the Clean Water Act.  Todd Wilkinson of DeSmet, South Dakota serves as the president of the cattlemen’s organization.  He says he is grateful for the North Dakota’s judge’s ruling.

Many republican governors and attorney generals had joined in the lawsuit against the EPA.  Nearly a week ago, President Biden had vetoed a bi-partisan passed resolution calling for a halt to the EPA regulations.  Although the injunction stops the EPA, at least for a short time until the Supreme Court makes its ruling.  Wilkinson believe President Biden and he EPA may try to find loop holes within the court’s injunction order.

Wilkinson believes the court order injunction won’t stop the Biden administration and the EPA from trying to find other ways to proceed with additional regulations on the matter.

The cattle producer says he is hopeful the U-S Supreme Court’s decision will follow the North Dakota judge’s ruling.

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Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig weighed in on the WOTUS ruling saying, “The court’s decision to grant an injunction on the Biden Administration’s Waters of the United States rule is very welcome news for Iowa agriculture.  This rule is too broad, too burdensome, too intrusive and far too costly.  I want to commend Attorney General Bird for leading the legal fight to overturn the rule.  Iowa farmers must be able to freely operate using modern farming practices and we do not need this unworkable bureaucratic decree hindering our efforts to accelerate the adoption of proven conservation and water quality practices.”