The American Farm Bureau Federation says the EPA’s handling of Waters of the U.S. rule making went beyond even the legal opinion issued Monday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
The non-partisan GAO found that the EPA broke the law with its social media and grassroots lobbying campaign advocating for its WOTUS rule. Farm Bureau Congressional Relations Director Don Parrish says there’s more to it.
“We think it goes much further than just lobbying Congress and the influencing a rule where the government should be partial and open to listening to valid, good faith concerns of the regulated community,” Parrish said.
Parrish says the fact that the GAO is non-partisan should prompt lawmakers from both political parties to ask tough questions of the agency.
“Because the American public deserves better,” said Parrish, “and Congress is the people that can hold EPA accountable for this.”
American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says the GAO finding vindicates his organization and others that have questioned EPA rulemaking on this issue. Stallman suggests congressional corrective action in the omnibus bill now taking shape on Capitol Hill.
Source: www.brownfieldagnews.com