Opposition to EPA water rule growing across the country
BUCYRUS — The U.S. EPA’s Waters of the United States rule, commonly known as WOTUS, has been in effect in Ohio since Friday, but efforts to quash it are multiplying across the country.
The rule, which the agency says will safeguard the drinking water of millions of Americans, has been put on hold in 13 western states following a court ruling in North Dakota late last week. Several other states have sued the EPA, claiming the regulations could be harmful to farmers and landowners who might have to pay for extra permits or redesign their property to manage small bodies of water on their land.
The EPA has disputed those characterizations, saying WOTUS merely clarifies existing protections under the Clean Water Act, and that it clears up confusion for many landowners. The agency says WOTUS only requires a permit when a landowner pollutes or destroys a waterway with a “direct and significant” connection to protected waters downstream.
But opponents of WOTUS counter that that applies to basically every stream and ditch on rural plots.
Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, has labeled WOTUS “yet another example of EPA’s reckless and unlawful behavior in the face of science, economics and the law.”
“Whether you’re a farmer, a rancher, a homebuilder or landowner of any stripe, the evidence is clear: This rule simply has to be stopped,” he said.
It was unclear Wednesday whether the court ruling in North Dakota will ultimately serve as an enforcement suspension in all 50 states, but for now the WOTUS rule is the law of the land in Ohio.
Early maturity?
Although September has only just begun, most soybean fields across north central Ohio have already taken on a decidedly yellow tinge, as soybean leaves turn color and prepare to drop. Even some fields of corn have already gone completely brown.
Crops planted early enough last spring should be reaching their dry-down phase by about now, but in many cases the lack of sufficient rain in August has caused premature drying. Or has it?
“Some growers noted improvements in crop conditions despite the dry weather, while others said the very dry conditions are becoming a larger concern, particularly where early-season wet conditions led to shallow root systems,” the Great Lakes regional office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said in its latest Ohio crop weather report.
However, the condition of corn and soybeans across the state actually improved a bit for the week ended Sunday for the first time in several weeks.
The USDA said 39 percent of Ohio’s corn was rated good, with 31 percent in fair shape. The breakdown for soybeans was similar – 38 percent and 32 percent good.
While 50 percent of the state’s corn was dented, meaning the kernels had begun to show indentations near the crown, as of Sunday, up from 39 percent at this point last year but close to the five-year average of 48 percent, 2 percent of the crop is already mature, near last year’s 3 percent but trailing the five-year average of 5 percent.
The USDA said 3 percent of Ohio’s soybeans have started dropping leaves. Although many observers are remarking that this seems early, last year at this time 5 percent of the crop had already dropped leaves, and the five-year average is 8 percent.
According to the federal agency, 76 of the state’s alfalfa hay fields have made it through three cuttings now.
“Livestock producers have had to supplement with hay as many pastures have been grazed to stubble,” the USDA said.
Although 62 percent of Ohio’s topsoil still had adequate moisture as of Sunday, 27 percent is now considered short, and that percentage has been rising since way back on July 19.
Mansfield is now looking at a precipitation deficit of 1.85 inches since April 1, although that’s certainly manageable. Bucyrus, meanwhile, is almost exactly normal on precip, while Marion continues to harbor a rainfall surplus of 1.54 inches and Fredericktown 2.71 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
thill3@nncogannett.com
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