A coalition of Illinois business organizations, professional associations and farm groups hosted a news conference to discuss impacts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposed changes to the regulations connected to the Clean Water Act.

The proposal would give the U.S. EPA and the Corps power to regulate or prohibit land use, farming practices and certain business practices by regulating tributaries, ponds, lakes, wetlands, roadside, irrigation and storm water ditches, adjacent waters, floodplains, puddles and even ephemeral streams, which are bodies of water that contain water only during a major storm event.

Lauren Lurkins, director of natural and environmental resources, Illinois Farm Bureau says they see the changes as "limitless federal jurisdiction and an end-run around Congress" since the law can only be changed by Congress and the proposed rule changes are far beyond what Congress intended when it drafted the law.

She adds the rule change would have a tremendous economic impact on more industries than agriculture, including home building, mining and construction.

Under the proposed rule, farmers and other landowners would have to apply for and wait for a permit to build fences, use pesticides and carry out other practices common to farming or land ownership on property the U.S. EPA considers part of the Waters of the U.S.

Twenty-four business organizations and farm groups joined the coalition to voice their opposition to the proposal including llinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Beef Association, Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Illinois Corn Growers Association.