(Governor Kim Reynolds addressing a news conference, along with (L-R) Farm Bureau President Craig Hill, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, U.S Senator Joni Ernst, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, and U.S. Senator Charles Grassley)
A number of Iowa politicians say they're hopeful about Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's views on the Waters of the U.S. Rule, which was adopted in 2015 during the Obama Administration. The Trump Administration is rescinding the rule, and there are plans for a revision.
The original rule has been criticized by some farm groups, which claim the rule is a government over-reach and land grab. The rule extends protections of waterways, beyond the previous Clean Water Act.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds told a news conference at the Iowa Farm Bureau office in West Des Moines, today (Tuesday), 97 percent of Iowa was impacted by WOTUS. She says the fact that Administrator Pruitt was willing to come to Des Moines for a round table discussion, shows he's wiling to listen and make changes.
"We would encourage them to take the Scalia approach, and that approach would significantly scale back the amount of federal over reach, seen in this first rule," said Reynolds.
U.S. Senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst also attended the meeting, along with Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey and Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill.
Hill said There's never been a more consequential rule than WOTUS, it defies Congressional intent and court opinions. Hill said the new rule will hopefully be more clear as opposed to the first rule which Hill said should never have been written.
WOTUS was a hot issue during the presidential campaign, especially in farm states including Iowa. Opponents maintain the rule is an extreme government over-reach. Supporters maintain the rules help protect water quality.