WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – The Texas Farm Bureau (TFB), with its headquarters in Waco, has filed a legal challenge to the new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule recently announced by the Biden administration.

The TFB has joined the Matagorda County Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau Federation and 15 other organizations representing agriculture, infrastructure and housing in filing the lawsuit against the rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Texas farmers and ranchers cannot know whether their property or project contains WOTUS, because the rule is hopelessly vague,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “The rule reaches far too broadly to cover wet patches and areas that are usually dry or remote from navigable water. The rule violates the Clean Water Act and the Constitution, as well as Supreme Court case law, and it should be struck down.”

Boeing said the rule will require landowners to hire environmental consultants, attorneys and engineers to ensure they are in compliance while trying to farm their land. He said the rule will have broad impacts throughout the country.

“It will slow down or halt projects, increase costs, eliminate jobs, all without improving water quality, which Congress trusted states and localities to regulate where navigation is not involved,” he said.

If you want to view the full lawsuit, you can click here.