The following is a statement from Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr., regarding comments filed by the Illinois Farm Bureau in support of the proposed repeal of the Waters of the U.S. Rule.

“Today, I filed comments on behalf of the Illinois Farm Bureau and its members in support of the U.S. EPA’s and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposal to rescind the 2015 definition of the Waters of the U.S. Rule.

“In addition to the prepared comments, I also submitted a petition signed by more than 2,500 Illinois Farm Bureau members in support of the repeal effort.  

“From the beginning, we have said the rule was fatally flawed, allowing the government far too much latitude to oversee private property and leaving farmers and land owners with little information as to which portions of their property may fall under the government’s jurisdiction.

 

“Illinois farmers care deeply about the land and water where they farm, going above and beyond to implement voluntary efforts to maintain and protect water quality. Unfortunately, the 2015 rule as written would have done little to improve water quality and would have further complicated farmers’ current conservation efforts.

 

“The comments submitted today, as well as the overwhelming number of signatures in the attached petition, show the importance Illinois farmers place on common-sense regulations and transparency in the rulemaking process.

 

“We look forward to working with the agencies in the future to write a new rule that protects our nation’s waters without penalizing farmers.â€