Today's award goes jointly to the Environmental
When farmers plow their land, it produces grooves called "furrows," bordered by small ridges of dirt.
But in pursuit of new regulatory powers, federal agencies refer to the little dirt mounds by another term: “mini mountain ranges.” That seemingly absurd distinction is being used to impose more federal control over private land use decisions made by U.S. farmers.
. . .
The [proposed] rule, called “Waters of the United States” ... would allow puddles, tire ruts and standing water to be labeled “disturbed wetlands” and regulated under the Clean Water Act. The Senate committee report states the rule would allow EPA to get around legal limits to its authority over ditches, draws, low areas, or other wet areas by simply calling them a “regulated tributary” or “wetland.”
The report concludes that if the EPA and Corps interpretations were allowed, “most if not all plowing” would be considered a “discharge of a pollutant” and require a federal permit.
There's more at the link.
Trees. Rope. Bureaucrats. Some assembly required.
Peter
An almost-neighbor has a patch of land that was logged in the 1930s. A bulldozer pushed a road through way back then; it cut through the surface loam into the clay and fine particles underneath. There is standing water on that land after significant rain-fall. Ergo, it's a wetland, and cannot be developed in any way within 50 feet, I mean 100 feet, I mean 250, I mean whatever they want, currently at 250 ft. Four acres of land; less than 1/4 of it is usable as anything other than "natural." But of course he still pays taxes on "4 acres of residential property."
ReplyDeleteAs Sheriff Clarke said, it's just about pitchfork and torches time...
You have got to be kidding me! I...how has he restrained the urge to construct and utilize a guillotine on the...execrable people who informed him of this/tried to enforce it? Has the Vatican been informed? (Miracles are kinda their "thing") *resumes noose-tying* *whistles innocently*
Deleteall part and parcel of the fact out elites have no idea of the sources of an economy. If you do not grow it or extract it, you have nothing. which is where they are taking use now.
ReplyDeleteNot even Trump can straighten out this mess. in the last 20 years they have been running the railroad for most of them.
Pardon the crudity, but you have *got* to be fucking kidding me.
ReplyDeleteThis. So much this.
DeleteThey're trying to starve us to death, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteAnd this is a regulation particularly targeted against places where the soil does not drain easily- like where there is heavy clay in the soil.
I thought this had been settled a few years ago when the government tried to call a corn field "wetlands" because it flooded at some times of the year. It turns out the ruling in that case didn't really clarify anything ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapanos_v._United_States ), since five judges wouldn't agree on a single opinion.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this behavior is new, and influenced by the expectation that a new judge on the court will include corn fields in the definition of "navigable waters" mentioned in the Constitution; or if it's simply the case of an agency trying to increase its power whenever there is any ambiguity to work with.
Nice bureaucracy you have there. Be a shame if something happened to it.
ReplyDeletehumans ruled by nitwits whom are never eliminated by those they prey on
ReplyDeleteor; typical human humour
Wildflower
As it is now if you farm there are a freaking raft of regulations to deal with. You go to the fsa/usda office every spring and they hand you a bunch of paperwork to sign. I honestly don't have a clue what most of the stuff is. Must be for those mythical crop subsidies or the big check they send people not to farm. I keep hearing people talk about those but never have figured out how to get one.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, that proposed rule 'Waters of the United States" has been faring very badly in court, even in a very, very blue state with one of the highest levels of regulation. Of course, in a small brief moment of sanity the same state (Ct) determined that 'wetlands' had to be defined by soil type (which is very, very narrow), unless it was a permanent watercourse. Thus exempting puddles and poorly draining fields and, to the disgust of some, most storm water drains.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a while a decent balance is struck. And, unfortunately, that does require some level of regulation. Because, to be honest, prior to wetlands regulations? Water quality in the United States was horrendous. And, speaking as someone connected to both the modern farming and logging industry, they aren't all saints any more than all usda agents are devils.
Now....those planning and zoning regs.....those are definitely due some rope.
The quote at the end of the linked article is good.
ReplyDelete