Senator Wyden Guts the Clean Water Act For the Benefit of Logging and Biomass Extraction Industries with Immunity from Enviro NGOs
Senator Wyden accomplished a blatant attack upon the Clean Water Act as well as the National Environmental Policy Act through legislative riders attached to the 2014 Farm Bill which was signed by President Obama in February 2014.
Senator Wyden boasts on his official website how proud he is of exempting logging operations across the nation to the Clean Water Act through a legislative rider attached to the Farm Bill! (Wait a minute I can't seem to find that Wyden press release that was posted on his website in 2014? That's weird?)
It seems that the Koch brothers had a hand in this corrupt debacle too. Read this article from the Nation to learn more.
So, do you suppose any environmental non governmental organization (ENGO) will attempt to hold the Senator accountable for such blatant attacks on two of the nations most fundamental environmental laws? I have not heard a peep from any ENGO since this bill was signed into law in 2014.
That is why we here at Eco Advocates will be exposing this blatant attack and betrayal any way we can.
We'll be starting with radio ads (attached below so one can forward to family, friends, OLCV, and the Sierra Club) urging the Oregon Sierra Club and Oregon League of Conservation Voters to withhold their endorsements and volunteers to Senator Wyden and Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR) in 2016.
Here is the exact text of the Legislative rider in the Miscellaneous section (XII) at the very end of the 2014 Farm Bill.
SEC. 12313. SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(A) NPDES PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR SILVICULTURAL
ACTIVITIES.—The Administrator shall not require a permit under this section nor directly or indirectly require any State to require a permit under this section for a discharge from runoff resulting from the conduct of the following silviculture activities conducted in accordance with standard industry practice: nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation and subsequent cultural treat- ment, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, surface drainage, or road construc- tion and maintenance.
H. R. 2642—345
‘‘(B) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing in this para- graph exempts a discharge from silvicultural activity from any permitting requirement under section 404, existing permitting requirements under section 402, or from any other federal law.
‘‘(C) The authorization provided in Section 505(a) does not apply to any non-permitting program established under 402(p)(6) for the silviculture activities listed in 402(l)(3)(A), or to any other limitations that might be deemed to apply to the silviculture activities listed in 402(l)(3)(A).’’.