Beef Buzz News
NCBA, Environmental Groups Prepare to Touch Gloves as Effort to Revamp WOTUS Rule Heats Up
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:33:52 CST
One of the most contentious issues that the agriculture industry has been fighting for several years now, the beef industry in particular, is the US Environmental Protection Agency's Waters of the United States rule that was implemented in 2015 by the Obama Administration. This controversial rule was and remains largely thought of by ag and business stakeholders to be nothing short of an overreaching land grab by the administration that imposed it. Since then, organization's like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association have been lobbying against the bill on Capitol Hill and in the courts. A court ordered stay suspended the rule for a while as the new Trump Administration mobilized its efforts to repeal and replace the Obama era remnant. However, a recent decision by a South Carolina judge reversed that stay, resurrecting the 2015 WOTUS and making it the law of the land once again for more than 20 states - including Oklahoma. Work by the Trump EPA continues to advance its agenda that in rare form actually aligns with that of agricultural producers, to revamp the WOTUS rule and tone down its policies that infringe on private property rights. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays caught up with Chief Environmental Counsel for NCBA Scott Yager, for his latest update on the status of that effort, here at the beginning of the new year.
"The old 2015 Obama era WOTUS rule is still the law on the books and that doesn't change until the Trump Administration finalizes either the repeal proposal, which they've had in process for over a year and a half now, or the replacement proposal," Yager explained. "Once one of those gets finalized, we'll kick the 2015 Obama rule off the books once and for all."
As simple as that sounds, Yager points out the existing rule's many advocates are prepared to litigate any attempted changes to the regulation at every turn. This, he says, is an inevitability and one that NCBA and other stakeholders opposing the 2015 rule must also prepare for and be willing to fight relentlessly in court. According to Yager, the coalition of environmental groups that oppose changing the current rule have taken that position because they have learned they are able to effectively bypass the legislative system and regulate through the courts. Yager explains that the greater control the federal government has, the more effective this tactic is. The ensuing court battles, though, will be worth it in Yager's mind, who insists the newly proposed rule by the Trump Administration is a significant improvement to the original rule.
"We want something that makes sense - common sense - and we think this new rule gets there," he remarked. I think it tries to strike a balance between safeguarding our navigable waters while also not burdening our agricultural producers by not regulating every single feature on the land. By and large, this is a huge success and a big win for the cattle industry."
Listen to Yager and Hays discuss this issue more in depth and the work being done to fix it, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
Click below to hear Yager and Hays discuss this issue more in depth and the work being done to fix it.
right-click to download mp3
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Beef News
January Cattle on Feed Report Three Percent Under Year Ago- Derrell Peel Says Tighter Supplies Will Be Around for Awhile Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:15:04 CST
Derrell Peel Talks Latest Cattle on Feed Report- Showing Fewer Cattle on Feed, Lighter Placements and Stronger Marketings. Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:19:00 CST
Kara Lee with Certified Angus Beef Tells Cattlemen 'Cut the Bull' Fri, 23 Dec 2022 14:30:39 CST
Beef Checkoff Utilizes Digital Marketing Techniques to Interact with Consumers Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:02:51 CST
Beef Checkoff Research, Education, and Promotion Efforts Point Consumers to Beef Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:15:46 CST
OSU Economist Derrell Peel Expects US Beef Export Strength to Continue Into the New Year Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:00:35 CST
NPPC's Michael Formica Feeling Positive About Supreme Courts Upcoming Proposition 12 Decision Mon, 05 Dec 2022 10:08:27 CST
NCBA Fights to Improve Marketing Options for Cattle Producers Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:58:28 CST
Chinese Consumers Continue to Grow Appetite for U.S. Beef Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:23:49 CST
Merck Creates Value for Producers and Consumers with Technology and Biopharmaceuticals Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:55:28 CST
NCBA’s Todd Wilkinson Ready to Fight Back Against Regulatory Overreach in the Cattle Industry Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:13:33 CST
NCBA and PLC Call ESA Listing Plan of Lesser Prairie Chicken Punitive for Cattle Producers in Southern Plains Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:51:02 CST
November Cattle on Feed Report Confirms October Pattern of Lower Placements and Tighter Cattle Numbers in Feedlots Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:07:02 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:36:33 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:27:40 CST
Midterm Elections to Set Stage for What Can Be Expected in 2023 Farm Bill Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:13:57 CST
USMEF's Dan Halstrom Remains Cautiously Optimistic about Strong Beef Demand Going Forward Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:35:46 CDT
Economic Factors Create Hesitancy in Beef Plant Expansion Plans Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:03:34 CDT
NCBA's Mike Simone Says Consumer Interest in Fake Meat is on the Decline Tue, 01 Nov 2022 11:41:02 CDT
Beef Remains Valued Product for Consumers as it Allows Them to Stretch their Dollar Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:15:56 CDT
Hugh Aljoe Provides Methods to Begin and Maintain Good Land Stewardship Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:30:13 CDT
Implement Soil Health Practices Now to Increase Forage Production when Rains Come Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:14:07 CDT
Third Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 Promotes the Beef Industry on a National Level Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:32:23 CDT
Latest Cattle on Feed Report from USDA Implies Fewer Pounds of Beef Available in 2023 Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:17:53 CDT
OSU's Derrell Peel- Lower Placements and Smaller On Feed Number Highlight October Cattle on Feed Report Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:45:37 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Continues to Share Beef Sustainability Story with Consumers Fri, 21 Oct 2022 09:23:36 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Works to Ensure Consumers Beef is a Product They Can Trust Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:44:44 CDT
Odds for Significant Wheat Pasture Going Lower Daily in the Southern Plains Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:35:46 CDT
NCBA Weighs in on California's Proposition 12 Tue, 18 Oct 2022 11:32:24 CDT
2022 Stockyards Steak Out Takes Oklahoma Beef to the Next Level Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:09:07 CDT
Holding Onto Your Cow Herd a Little Longer is Projected to Pay Off, says Randy Blach Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:14:05 CDT
Randy Blach Confident in Better Cattle Market Conditions Down the Road Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:43:02 CDT
No Imports or Exports Would Result in a Smaller U.S. Beef Cattle Industry Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:11:15 CDT
Derrell Peel Explains Why International Trade of Beef is Valuable Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:19:29 CDT
Animal Agriculture Hopeful for a Win as U.S. Supreme Court Looks at California's Proposition 12 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 09:26:17 CDT