The American Farm Bureau Federation expressed disappointment with the district court’s recent ruling upholding the Environmental Protection Agency’s total maximum daily load for the Chesapeake Bay. “We believe the ruling is incorrect and has huge implications for farmers and many others in the Bay area and nationwide,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman in a statement.

Further, according to Stallman: “Win or lose in this lawsuit, farmers care deeply about our natural environment and want to do our part to improve water quality. But Congress did not authorize EPA to dictate how farmers, builders, homeowners and towns would share the responsibility of achieving clean water. That is the states’ job. We believe EPA’s approach wrongly puts federal agency staff in charge of intensely local land use decisions.

AFBF and allies in the case are reviewing the decision and evaluating next steps.