South Dakota along with 19 other states are opposing a plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The States are arguing the plan is an overreach of federal authority and has possible negative consequences for other watersheds across the country including the Mississippi River. South Dakota Farm Bureau Executive Director Wayne Smith says his group’s problem with the Chesapeake plan is it’s federal regulators taking over what should be controlled by the state.
Smith agrees with American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman who calls the EPA’s action “a remarkable power grab”.
The case is currently before the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. Oral arguments are expected this summer with a ruling afterward.
