Water in Kansas is a precious resource. Kansans are keenly aware of the importance of protecting the soil, water, air and other natural resources found in our great state.
Without water, including clean drinking
water, our major industries including agriculture, and the wellbeing of Kansans
is at stake. Respect for the land and the bounty it offers; these are
principles that every Kansan holds dear.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback recognizes
the importance of Kansas water supplies and has called for the development of a
50-year Vision for Water in Kansas. However, the Federal Government believes it
knows better. The heavy-handed overreach of the Environmental Protection Agency
continues to threaten the livelihood and rights of Kansans. Kansas business
owners, industry leaders and farm and ranch families will all be affected if
the proposed rule addressing the Clean Water Act is pushed through. The latest
media blitz in the Midwest to convince Kansans that the rule is benign and is
in their best interest is a slap in the face. The rule, while promoted as
reducing EPA oversight and clarifying the issue at hand, does nothing to
improve the lives of Kansans.
The visit by U.S. EPA Administrator
Gina McCarthy to the Midwest was part of a campaign that attempts to reduce
participation in the comment process by spreading misinformation and glossing
over the damaging intrusion into effective practices on our farm and ranch
operations. This misguided campaign, while calling for dialog, offers little in
the way of getting to the real intentions of the EPA in this process. Indeed,
McCarthy has referred to the concerns of Midwesterners as “ludicrous.”
This proposed rule is bad for Kansas.
Contrary to public comments from EPA officials, it extends federal jurisdiction
beyond that authorized in the Clean Water Act and creates the opportunity for
federal intervention in upland practices. The EPA proposal would likely bring
many additional ponds, puddles, ditches, and even dry land under federal
regulation, ultimately requiring more permits for routine farming activities.
Despite EPA statements, the agency narrowed statutory exemptions for
agriculture under the CWA. These requirements will prevent expansions,
conservation practice implementation, and other beneficial activities that
provide jobs and water quality benefits for Kansas.
The EPA says it is not their intention
to exert additional jurisdiction over these items, yet by reading the rule, we
believe that either now or sometime in the future, the EPA can and will do
these very things.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture,
Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of
Transportation, Kansas Water Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks
and Tourism have and continue to be actively engaged in identifying and
bringing to the EPA’s attention the negative ramifications of the proposed
rule.
We will not be deterred by a media
campaign that is clearly running counter to what is in the best interest of
Kansas business owners, families and agriculture interests. We will continue to
fight to protect the rights of Kansas landowners and businesses.
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