Category Archives: Clean Water Act

US Supreme Court Issues Opinion in WOTUS Case, Sackett v. EPA

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The United States Supreme Court has issued its Opinion in Sackett v. EPA, a case looking at the proper test to determine whether a wetland is jurisdictional under the Clean Water Act (CWA).  To hear my discussion on this case with our favorite law professors, Jesse Richardson and Anthony Schutz, click here.  To read a significantly shorter Q&A interview about the case I did with Progressive Cattle, click here. Short Summary For those of you who have no interest in reading such a long description, here is a … Read More →

2022 Ag Law Year in Review – National

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I always enjoy the chance to look back over the year and recap the biggest agricultural law developments.  There was certainly no shortage agricultural law happenings in 2022.  Today, we’ll look at the national agricultural law scene, and next Monday, we will focus specifically on Texas.  If you want to hear more about some of the biggest national ag law stories of the year, click here for a podcast episode I did with my friend, Paul Goeringer.  With that, let’s get started! Carbon Contracts The topic about which… Read More →

August 5, 2022 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday and Happy August!  We’re back with another Ag Law Weekly Round Up. Earlier this week, I was able to travel to California with my kids and my aunt to accept the Distinguished Extension Program Award (less than 10 years) from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.  I am so honored to have received this award, and my children were quite excited to swim in the Pacific Ocean and visit Disneyland. With that, here are some of the ag law stories in the news this week. *US… Read More →

August 13, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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It is time for another recap of some of the key agricultural law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. * Court orders Maui County to obtain NPDES permit for injection wells on remand.  You all likely remember the US Supreme Court decision in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, in which the US Supreme Court held that NPDES permits are required for both direct discharges into waters of the United States and for indirect discharges that are the functional equivalent of a direct… Read More →

April 23, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  It’s sure been a week around here.  I hope we all get some rest this weekend. Here are some of the ag law stories in the news the past couple of weeks. *Important property tax deadlines coming up for rural Texas landowners.  Many property tax deadlines are coming up, requiring that paperwork be submitted by rural landowners to County Appraisal Districts before May 1.  This includes the deadline to submit an open space valuation application and a wildlife management valuation application.  Keep in mind, anyone who… Read More →

March 26, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  Here a few of the ag law stories in the news the past couple of weeks. *Maryland trial court ruling on ammonia emissions and the Clean Water Act draws concern.  A recent case decided in Maryland has resulted in nationwide discussion over agriculture and the intersection of the Clean Air and Clean Water Act.  Essentially, the circuit court judge ruled that Maryland must regulate air pollution–ammonia, in particular–under the state’s implementation of the federal Clean Water Act.  This raises concern for livestock producers, who are exempt… Read More →

2020 Agricultural Law Year in Review – National

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Happy Holidays!  I love doing these year in reviews and look forward to writing them every year.  There was certainly no shortage of ag law news in 2020.  Here is a look at some of the biggest ag law stories from the last 365 days.  On Thursday, Paul Goeringer and I will release a joint podcast recapping some of these issues as well. Dicamba Controversy and Litigation For cotton and soybean farmers, dicamba certainly has to the biggest issue of 2020.  To hear more, listen to this podcast… Read More →

May 29, 2020 Weekly Round Up

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Thanks for joining us for another Ag Law Weekly Round Up!  Here are some of the ag law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. *CFAP program sign up is underway.  Sign up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program is open through August 28, 2020.  For more information on this program, click here for the TAMU Ag & Food Policy Center overview of the program.  For sign up information and forms necessary, click here. *Sackett Clean Water Act litigation continues.  Back in 2012, the US Supreme… Read More →

May 15, 2020 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  It’s been a busy couple of weeks on the ag law front.  Here are some of the cases in the news. *Appellate court finds Texas Central Railroad is a “railroad company” and an “interurban electric railway.”  One of the main legal battles over the proposed high speed rail project in Central Texas has been whether the builder, Texas Central Railroad & Infrastructure, Inc. qualifies as a “railroad company” or an “interurban electric railway.”  If so, the company would likely be entitled to use eminent domain to… Read More →

May 3, 2019 Weekly Round Up

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Happy May!  Welcome to this week’s Agricultural Law Round Up. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, but I want to say welcome to those of you who I met presenting in Canadian, Burnet, and Kerrville!  Here are some of the ag law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. *Settlement offer in Maui County v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund could remove case from SCOTUS docket.  This week, news broke that a settlement offer had been made by plaintiffs in the Maui County  Clean Water Act case, which… Read More →