Sixth Judicial Circuit Stays WOTUS Implementation

Some positive news for farmers and ranchers across the country on Friday, the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA's Waters of the United States — or WOTUS — rule to be stayed national wide until the Court can determine jurisdiction over the many pending lawsuits.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association Environmental Counsel Scott Yager says

Yager: "The affect of the stay will prevent the EPA and the Army Corp from implementing the rule across the country. So all 50 states — the rule is no longer in affect. Until a later time, til the court decides the jurisdictional issue. This is a great decision. We're going to have the rule stayed until a later time. So that means you don't have to worry about it yet. We can let these lawsuits playout and figure out what is the correct court to hear the case in. In the meantime — you don't have to worry about it too much. It is status quo of what the law of the land had been before the WOTUS rule."

A three judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Judicial Circuit voted 2-1 to stay implementation over concern that burden to state and federal government, as well as private parties and the public in general, from the implementation of the WOTUS rule outweighed any harm to the agencies in keeping the status quo.