Source: American Soybean Association news release
Washington, D.C. Today, the American Soybean Association applauded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for proposing a more workable “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule for agriculture. The proposal aims to bring clarity to how the Clean Water Act applies on working farmland and to better reflect the realities farmers face on the ground.
For decades, defining WOTUS has been one of the most complex and contentious issues in federal water policy. Since the Clean Water Act’s passage in 1972, multiple administrations and courts, including several Supreme Court decisions, have wrestled with how far federal jurisdiction should reach over wetlands and water features. The Court’s 2023 Sackett ruling found the previous WOTUS rule inconsistent with the law, and ASA strongly opposed that 2023 version, urging EPA and USACE to develop a definition that protects water quality while remaining workable for farmers.
“Soybean farmers have been asking for a WOTUS definition we can actually put to work on the ground,” said Caleb Ragland, ASA President and Kentucky farmer. “For too long, shifting interpretations have created real uncertainty about whether everyday decisions might trigger federal oversight. We appreciate that the administration, along with Administrator Lee Zeldin and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle, is moving toward a definition that reflects how water interacts with working farmland and respects the conservation practices growers already use. Aligning the rule with the Supreme Court’s Sackett decision and preserving long-standing exemptions for normal farm work gives producers clearer expectations and reduces the risk of costly delays or compliance surprises.”
ASA will review the proposal in detail, but this is an important step toward providing farmers the predictability they need to manage their land responsibly and keep delivering food, feed, and fuel for America and the world.
About ASA
The American Soybean Association (ASA) represents U.S. soybean farmers on domestic and international policy issues important to the soybean industry. ASA has 26 affiliated state associations representing 30 soybean-producing states and more than 500,000 soybean farmers.
