Four ag groups filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to preserve certain rights granted to livestock producers. The National Pork Producers Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and United Egg Producers filed a defense against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) rules amid attempts by activist groups to change the regulations.

Current rules exclude agricultural stormwater discharges, but a lawsuit led by Food and Water Watch seeks to remove this stipulation. If passed, this would require all CAFOs to either obtain Clean Water Act permits or provide evidence that they are not discharging into Waters of the United States (WOTUS).

“If successful, this lawsuit would upend livestock environmental regulations around the country, causing millions of dollars of lawsuits, fines and challenges — setting the industry back decades,” according to the National Pork Producers Council.