To the editor:

The Douglas County Farm Bureau thinks Kansans should know the Environmental Protection Agency wants to use the Clean Water Act to dictate how landowners use their land.

The EPA’s proposal says farm ditches, flood control levees or golf course ponds could be under its power. It even includes low spots that only hold water after it rains.

Home builders, developers, country clubs and farmers would have to get a permit before working around these “waters” even for just a few days out of the year. If they don’t, they could be fined more than $37,000 per day for simple tasks like putting up a fence, spraying for weeds, moving dirt or grazing cattle. Fines like that would drive any small company — the backbone of our Kansas economy — out of business.

Cities and counties would have to change their watershed and storm water management plans. They’d have to get permits to treat wastewater and might have to get additional pesticide permits. The costs of those permits and requirements would be passed on to taxpayers.

For more information, or to express your opinion on this matter, go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the directions for submitting comments. You may also email ow-docket@epa.gov with any questions.