EPA Spells Fear

The EPA bid to vastly expand its U.S. waters jurisdiction took another hit in the U.S. House when a key committee voted to put the proposed rule on hold. The House Transportation Committee said no to EPA's Waters of the U.S. rule. Some Democrats dissented over clean drinking water, sport fishing and other concerns - but Republicans and most democrats said no to what many in agriculture consider a massive EPA land grab. Top Committee Democrat Nick Joe Rahall of West Virginia.

RAHALL:  Mr. Chairman, if it's not clear yet it should be, that in the district I'm honored to represent the worst three letters of the alphabet that can be stated are EPA.

Rahall says they spell fear - reinforced by the latest proposed rule.

RAHALL: They amount to an expansion of EPA's reach into waters that never before envisioned by the Congress to be subject to the Clean Water Act. This new rule intended to calm the waters, so to speak, has instead whipped up yet another political firestorm scaring the heck out of our farmers and businesses already struggling to deal with heaps of government regulations to earn a living.

Sponsor of the bill to block the rule and force EPA to work with state and local officials Florida's Steve Southerland.

SOUTHERLAND: The EPA and the Corp of Engineers are engaged in a brazen effort to upset a successful federal/state partnership that has regulated America's waters for more than 40 years.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.