{"id":10741,"date":"2022-01-03T12:18:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-03T18:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/?p=10741"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:16:01","slug":"2021-ag-law-year-in-review-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2022\/01\/03\/2021-ag-law-year-in-review-national\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 Ag Law Year in Review – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy 2022!\u00a0 As we do each year, we’ve compiled our list of some of the biggest agricultural law stories in 2021.\u00a0 Today, we will take a look at this from the national level.\u00a0 Next week, we will take a look at Texas-specific issues.\u00a0 To hear Paul Goeringer and I discuss the biggest issues of 2021, click here<\/a> to listen to our year-end episode of the Ag Law in the Field Podcast.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo by Todd Aarnes<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Waters of the United States<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If there has been one constant over the last 5 years, it has been the inclusion of this topic on every year-in-review blog post.\u00a0 Just a brief background, the federal Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 giving federal jurisdiction to the Environmental Protection Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers over “waters of the United States.”\u00a0 Particularly relevant for agriculture, this requires a federal permit to discharge a point source pollutant into a water of the US or to move dredge and fill material on a water of the US.\u00a0 [To read more about the Clean Water Act and agriculture, click here<\/a> or listen to my podcast with Anthony Schutz here<\/a>.]\u00a0 Despite using the term, the Clean Water Act did not define the meaning of “waters of the United States.”\u00a0 Decades of litigation ensued.\u00a0 In 2015, the Obama administration published its “WOTUS Rule,” to define the meaning of “waters of the United States.”\u00a0 Lawsuits quickly followed around the country.\u00a0 When President Trump took office, he told the EPA to rescind and revise the definition, and the Navigable Waters Protection Rule<\/a> (“NWPR”) was passed in 2020.\u00a0 Again, lawsuits quickly followed.\u00a0 After an Arizona federal court struck down the NWPR, the Biden EPA announced it would no longer seek to enforce that definition.\u00a0 \u00a0In November 2021, the Biden administration published its proposed rule<\/a>, which includes elements of Justice Scalia’s plurality opinion and Justice Kennedy’s concurring opinion in\u00a0Rapanos v. EPA.\u00a0<\/em> Public comment is currently open through February 7, 2022.\u00a0 The final Biden rule is expected in 2022.\u00a0 It is certainly likely that, again, lawsuits will follow.\u00a0 Stay tuned for 2022, as I’ll be having Jim Bradbury on the podcast to chat with us about the proposed rule.\u00a0 Also, if you really want to dive into the weeds on this topic, Jesse Richardson and I will have a law review article coming out in 2022 in the William & Mary Law Review<\/em> that really provides a detailed history of waters of the United States.\u00a0 Without question, this definition being a moving target is frustrating for landowners, agriculture, construction, and other industries required to follow the Clean Water Act.<\/p>\n

Carbon Contracts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If a person were to choose the hottest topic of 2021 by counting news headlines, carbon contracts might be high on that list.\u00a0 There has been lots of discussion around the country about farmers entering into various agreements with companies related to carbon.\u00a0 In the agricultural space, most of these agreements involve farmers or ranchers entering into contracts with brokers and agreeing to undertake certain production practices such as no till farming or regenerative grazing.\u00a0 To listen to a podcast episode I did on this topic, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 To hear from a Midwestern farmer who has been involved with a number of carbon contracts with various companies, click here.<\/a>\u00a0 I’m currently working on a fact sheet along with Dr. Jordan Shockley from the University of Kentucky and Dr. Justin Benavidez with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension that will help farmers and ranchers know what to look for when evaluating a potential carbon contract.\u00a0 For now, I would just remind everyone to take time to really review, analyze, and understand any contract prior to signing!<\/p>\n

Proposition 12<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Why does a California-specific law make the national list of hot topics?\u00a0 Because of it’s potential to impact pork producers around the country.\u00a0 California voters passed a ballot initiative in 2018 related to specific spacing requirements and production practices required for pigs, laying hens, and veal animals.\u00a0 The initiative, Proposition 12, sets forth specifications that California producers must follow on their operations.\u00a0 It also went a step further, providing that products raised in other states not comporting with these practices may not be sold in California.\u00a0 For example, if a hog producer in North Carolina does not meet the spacing requirements of the California law, that producer may not sell his pork in California.\u00a0 This provision goes into effect January 1, 2022 and reports indicate that nearly all pork produced in the United States would violate the California standards.\u00a0 There were a number of lawsuits filed challenging the constitutionality of this law, but thus far, none have succeeded.\u00a0 One such suit brought by the National Pork Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation was dismissed at both the trial court and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and is currently awaiting a decision on a petition for certiorari from the United States Supreme Court.\u00a0 To listen to a podcast episode I did with Beth Rumley from the National Ag Law Center, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beef Checkoff<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Litigation continues with regard to the Beef Checkoff program.\u00a0 You may recall from this prior blog post that R-Calf USA filed suit against the Montana Beef Council (MBC) claiming that the MBC’s advertising violated the First Amendment rights of R-Calf members.\u00a0 In 2020, the US District Court for the District of Montana dismissed the case, holding that the MBC advertisements constituted government speech, which is protected from First Amendment challenge. [Read blog post here<\/a>.]\u00a0 This was based in large part on Memorandum of Understandings that were signed between numerous state beef councils and the USDA, allowing government oversight of the messaging from the state beef councils.\u00a0 The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed this decision on appeal in July 2021.\u00a0 [To listen to a prior podcast episode discussion these issues, click here<\/a>.]\u00a0 Additionally, in 2020, R-Calf filed suit against the USDA alleging that these MOUs were unlawful as the USDA failed to follow the Administrative Procedures Act. In September 2021, the US District Court for the District of Columbia denied USDA’s motion to dismiss the case, allowing it to proceed.<\/p>\n

US Supreme Court Water Law Rulings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If anyone is curious about what can unite the United States Supreme Court, apparently it’s water law cases.\u00a0 This year, the High Court issued two unanimous opinions in water law disputes between states.\u00a0 To hear a discussion between Jesse Richardson and me on these cases, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most recently, the court dismissed the claims in\u00a0Mississippi v. Tennessee<\/em>.\u00a0 This case involved a dispute over the Middle Claiborne Aquifer, which sits beneath multiple states, including Mississippi and Tennessee.\u00a0 Mississippi argued that Tennessee’s pumping resulted in the loss of billions of gallons of water that used to lie beneath Mississippi.\u00a0 In what is an important opinion on an issue of first impression, Chief Justice Roberts found that the doctrine of “equitable apportionment” applied to this case.\u00a0 This doctrine had previously only been applied to surface water disputes.\u00a0 This case makes clear that equitable apportionment applies to an interstate aquifer if it is: (1) multistate; (2) water flows naturally between the states; and (3) actions of one state affects portions of the aquifer below another state.\u00a0 Because Mississippi expressly said it did not seek equitable apportionment, and because the Court found that to be the only available remedy in this dispute, the case was dismissed.\u00a0 It will be interesting to see how this plays out in cases going forward now that it is clear that, at least in some instances, equitable apportionment does apply to groundwater.<\/p>\n

The other water law decision from the Supreme Court this year pitted\u00a0Florida against Georgia in a dispute over the waters of the Apalachicola Chattahoochee Flint River Basin.\u00a0 Florida filed an equitable apportionment lawsuit claiming that Georgia was using more than their fair share of the water from the basin.\u00a0 Justice Barrett wrote for the unanimous Court finding that Florida simply could not prove substantial injury caused by Georgia’s actions.\u00a0 Thus, the case was dismissed.<\/p>\n

Dicamba<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Just recently over the last couple of weeks, dicamba has been in the news based on various statements and reports from the EPA.\u00a0 You may recall that in 2020, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated the registration for three over-the-top dicamba products in June.\u00a0 [To read more about that click here<\/a> or listen here<\/a>.]\u00a0 In November 2020, the EPA approved the use of XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium through 2025 and added a number of additional restrictions to the label.\u00a0 [Read more here<\/a>.]\u00a0 At the end of December 2021, the EPA released a summary of dicamba-related incident reports from the 2021 growing season.\u00a0 This report noted widespread alleged damage from dicamba in 2021, despite the more restrictive label.\u00a0 The EPA also stated that it could not move quickly enough to fully implement changes by the 2022 growing season.\u00a0 [Read article here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

North Carolina Right to Farm Statute<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Another development right at the end of 2021 came from North Carolina where the NC Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the state’s Right to Farm statute.\u00a0 After numerous hog farms were sued for nuisance in North Carolina, the General Assembly passed (overriding the governor’s veto) a more stringent Right to Farm Statute in 2019. Plaintiffs filed suit challenging the constitutionality of the amended Right to Farm law.\u00a0 The trial court granted the state’s motion to dismiss in December 2020.\u00a0 On December 21, 2021, the North Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed that dismissal. [Read Opinion here<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Potential Changes to Estate & Capital Gains Taxes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, one of my most popular speaking requests related to potential changes that did not occur in 2021.\u00a0 There were certainly proposals, talking points, and agendas in Washington, DC that would have modified estate and capital gains taxes, which had agricultural producers and rural landowners paying attention.\u00a0 In particular, there was concern from agricultural groups that Congress might decrease the lifetime exemption for estate taxes from the current 2021 level of $11.7 million\/person to far less, with some proposals suggesting $3.5 million\/person.\u00a0 [Read this prior blog post<\/a> about estate taxes.]\u00a0 With regard to capital gains taxes, agricultural groups were concerned that Congress may do away with the step up in basis or impose capital gains taxes on unrealized gains at death.\u00a0 [Read this prior blog post<\/a> about capital gains taxes.]\u00a0 Thus far, none of these changes have come to fruition.\u00a0 [To listen to podcast episodes about estate, gift and capital gains taxes, click here<\/a> and here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy 2022!\u00a0 As we do each year, we’ve compiled our list of some of the biggest agricultural law stories in 2021.\u00a0 Today, we will take a look at this from the national level.\u00a0 Next week, we will take a look at Texas-specific issues.\u00a0 To hear Paul Goeringer and I discuss the biggest issues of 2021, click here to listen to our year-end episode of the Ag Law in the Field Podcast. Waters of the United States If there has been one constant over the last 5 years, it… Read More →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2444,"featured_media":10778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,62,67,10,13,11,5,6,54,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-carbon-contracts","category-checkoff-program-challenges","category-dicamba","category-federal-regulations","category-right-to-farm-laws","category-united-states-congress","category-united-states-supreme-court-decisions","category-water-law","category-wotus","category-year-in-review"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2021 Ag Law Year in Review - National - Texas Agriculture Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2022\/01\/03\/2021-ag-law-year-in-review-national\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2021 Ag Law Year in Review - National - Texas Agriculture Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Happy 2022!\u00a0 As we do each year, we’ve compiled our list of some of the biggest agricultural law stories in 2021.\u00a0 Today, we will take a look at this from the national level.\u00a0 Next week, we will take a look at Texas-specific issues.\u00a0 To hear Paul Goeringer and I discuss the biggest issues of 2021, click here to listen to our year-end episode of the Ag Law in the Field Podcast. 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