Ag News
Georgia Farm Bureau joins AFBF on motion in WOTUS case
Posted on Jul 10, 2018 at 0:00 AM
Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) will join the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) on a motion to intervene in a case concerning the 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which was issued jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). GFB and AFBF have opposed the WOTUS rule since it was first published as a proposed rule. The WOTUS rule was finalized in 2015.
The suit, filed by the State of Georgia and 10 other states against the EPA and Corps, sought to stop the rule from being implemented. The states argued that the rule expanded the agencies’ jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act beyond what was granted by Congress, ignored limits imposed by the Supreme Court and infringed on private property rights, and is vague to the point of being unconstitutional.
The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Georgia in Glynn County. On June 8, the court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the rule’s implementation in Georgia and the other states participating as plaintiffs.
GFB and AFBF were not parties to the case and with the motion to intervene they are seeking to join the states as plaintiffs because the case will affect GFB and AFBF members. If the motion to intervene is granted, GFB and AFBF would be allowed to make arguments in the case.
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