Here is a statement from the US Congress'  House Agriculture Committee
Chair and
Ranking member.

Keep in mind that some of the statements are not necessarily factually
correct -
specifically the 5th paragraph which represents their interpretation of
Congress' intent, not the interpretation of the Clean Water Act as
decided this
year in the Pronsolino Garcia River TMDL case in CA.

Kathy (Clean Water Network)
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EPA's Runoff Rules Get Downstream Criticism
TMDL rule changes impact producers' irrigation choices
Tuesday, July 11th
Washington, D.C.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas)
and Ranking Minority Member Charlie Stenholm (D-Texas) sharply
criticized the Environmental Protection Agency's plans to finalize
rule changes on producers' management of irrigation and rainfall
water runoff from their fields.

EPA's rule change requires calculation of Total Maximum Daily
Loads (TMDLs) of soil and other particles carried in water that
washes across fields and forestry lands, that may eventually find
its way to streams and rivers.

Despite more than a year of congressional efforts of bi-partisan
unity to bring EPA back on track for a science-based approach to
assure water quality of streams and rivers, the finalized rule change
cleared today with the approval of EPA Administrator Carol
Browner.  President Clinton has delayed as long as possible in
signing a law from Congress blocking "new" EPA rules, in order to
allow the TMDL rule changes to become established - if only by a
matter of one day or so.

"Farmers still have no way of knowing from EPA if they must get
federal permission for irrigation of their crops, or whether a heavy
rain washing over their fields will turn landowners into lawbreakers.
EPA's rule change is a public policy debacle with the potential for a
national cost in billions of dollars and lost credibility.  Clearly, EPA

has mishandled this process from the beginning and continues to
do so by going ahead with this rule change.  Their attempt to
dodge responsibility by forcing a rule on the next president clearly
shows a lack of confidence in the integrity of their own proposal,"
Combest and Stenholm said in a joint statement.

Congress originally designed Clean Water Act regulations to
measure TMDLs only for point sources of pollution, such as
specific industrial sites.

However, on August 23, 1999, EPA proposed to apply TMDL
calculations to non-point sources, such as general water runoff
from forestry, farm and ranch lands.

For well over a year, criticism has mounted against EPA intentions.
General Accounting Office reports question the science and costs
of EPA's rule change.  After the Society of American Foresters and
the National Association of State Foresters investigation revealed
mistakes discovered in EPA's data, the agency moved to delay its
TMDL rule on forestry.  Nearly half of the members of the House of
Representatives have cosponsored legislation to block EPA's rule
changes.  Recently, the National Academy of Sciences' National
Research Council issued a report critical of EPA's lack of science
in its decision-making.

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