NSAC Archives for the 'Clean Water Act' Category
EPA Clean Water Act Permit for Aquatic Pesticide Application
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
On Monday, November 7, the EPA issued notice of a final Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for the application of aquatic pesticides to waters of the United States. This Pesticide General Permit (PGP) does not cover pesticide drift or runoff from land application of pesticides, which is generally considered Read the Rest…
EPA Proposed Rule for CAFO Information Reporting Falls Far Short
Friday, November 4th, 2011
In October, EPA issued a proposed rule for obtaining information from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) under Section 308 of the Clean Water Act. This purposed rule exempts critical information from CAFO reporting requirements, which leaves huge gaps in EPA’s ability to regulate CAFO waste effectively. The proposed rule is required by a settlement between Read the Rest…
New ERS Report on Nitrogen Loss and Conservation Policy
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
Last week, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a new report entitled, Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy. The 89-page report “explores the use of nitrogen in U.S. agriculture and assesses changes in nutrient management by farmers that may improve nitrogen use efficiency.” It “reviews a number of policy approaches for improving nitrogen Read the Rest…
A Hard Week in Congress for Clean Water
Friday, July 15th, 2011
On Tuesday, July 12, the House Appropriations Committee approved an appropriations bill for the Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies that would slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s funding by 18-precent. The full House is expected to vote on the bill the week of July 25th. The bill also includes several riders to severely limit Read the Rest…
House Appropriations Subcommittee Slashes FY2012 EPA Funding
Friday, July 8th, 2011
On Thursday July 7, the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee approved an FY2012 spending bill, which includes deep cuts to the budgets of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and riders blocking EPA action with relevance for agriculture. The Subcommittee approved the bill in 8-5 party-line vote. The bill would reduce the Read the Rest…
EPA and Army Corps Extend Comment Period for Waters of the U.S. Guidance
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
On Monday, June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers extended the public comment period by 30 days for the draft guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act. The new comment deadline is July 31, 2011. As we reported in late April, the EPA and Army Corps issued Read the Rest…
Senate Agriculture Committee Passes House Pesticides Bill
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
On Tuesday, June 21, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted favorably on the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011 (H.R. 872). The bill will now go to the full Senate for a floor vote. Although the bill passed the Committee by a voice vote, Democrats on the Agriculture Committee and others have stated publicly that a Read the Rest…
AGree?
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
On Tuesday, May 3, a new federal food, agriculture, and rural development policy initiative was launched by eight major foundations at a press event in DC. The new eight-year project will be aimed at “transforming US food and agriculture policy” with an equal focus on domestic and international impacts. It will be known as “AGree,” Read the Rest…
EPA and Army Corps Release New Guidance on Scope of Clean Water Act
Friday, April 29th, 2011
On Wednesday, April 27, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers issued a proposed guidance for determining which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act. A notice of the release of the proposed guidance will be published in the Federal Register on May 2, which starts a 60-day public comment period on the proposed Read the Rest…
154 Groups Deliver Letter Opposing “Riders” to Appropriations Bill
Friday, April 1st, 2011
More than 150 national organizations, including NSAC, delivered a letter to both Senate and White House leadership on Friday, April 1, opposing the attachment of non-germane legislative amendments, or “riders,” to the fiscal year (FY) 2011 appropriations bill, which Congress is likely to vote on next week. The same letter was sent to Senate Majority Read the Rest…
