Ditch The Myths & Containing Border Surge

Ditch The Myths & Containing Border Surge plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

EPA Administrator Gina held a press conference yesterday in an attempt to ditch the myths and misinformation about the Waters of the United States rule.

McCARTHY: We have to understand how we can protect clean water and make sure we have a strong farm economy and how they can go hand-in-hand. So you have been paying close attention to our proposal to clarify legal confusion. That has been really challenging our efforts to protect clean water. But unfortunately I think there's a growing list of misunderstandings that have been floating around. WOTUS is not about restricting farmers it's about protecting downstream water quality.

Yesterday, President Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency funds to contain the surge of illegal Central American immigrants, many of them unaccompanied children, crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. The money would increase detainment and court capacity to speed decisions, while expanding law enforcement and prosecution of the criminal networks that smuggle people over the border.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

The EPA is taking public comment on its proposed "Waters of the U.S." rule now through October 20. They have been taking a lot of flack as well. For quite some time the EPA has said that its "Waters of the U.S. rule is simply an effort to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands since determining that Clean Water Act protection became confusing and complex following Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006. EPA's Administrator, Gina McCarthy, has herself admitted to the media that the process the agency has taken to clarify "Waters of the U.S." in the Clean Water Act has caused great misunderstandings within the agriculture community. What many are concerned with now, and it appears rightly so, is whether such a clarification of the rule would actually end up expanding the federal government's reach; subjecting far more water and area to fall under EPA control. Many western states are concerned with the seemingly "one size fits all" approach by the EPA. Thus ag groups have instigated the "Ditch the Rule" campaign. To learn more about the campaign visit www.ditchtherule.fb.org.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.