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Michigan Farm Bureau joins suit opposing federal water rule

LANSING, MI (AP)--   The Michigan Farm Bureau is joining a challenge of federal water regulations that  

supporters say are essential to protect headwaters and wetlands from pollution but opponents describe as government overreach.

The Environmental Protection Agency rule took effect in August but federal courts have blocked it in response to lawsuits from more than half the states, including Michigan.

At issue is which smaller waterways the federal government can shield from development under the Clean Water Act. The matter remains murky despite several Supreme Court rulings.

Under the latest rule, a business or landowner would need a permit to fill wetlands or otherwise damage waters with a "direct and significant" link to larger water bodies downstream.

Farm bureau leaders said Monday that regulating those smaller waters should be left to the states.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.