Johnson Family EPA problems now over. Trump had them in Washington during White House ceremony
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
WASHINGTON D.C. — A Wyoming man who became a poster child for what some saw as environmental overreach visited the White House for the signing of two executive orders by President Donald Trump intended to “improve the transparency and fairness of government agencies,” the White House said.
Uinta County's Andy Johnson, who rose to prominence for his legal battle with the Environmental Protection Agency over a pond he had built on his property, was a special guest of the president during a Wednesday news conference on the executive orders in Washington D.C. – part of Trumps' effort to reduce regulations on businesses and private citizens.
The executive orders, according to prepared remarks by the president, are intended to end the persecution of private citizens who often learn of the rules only when “federal agents come knocking on their door.” That regulatory overreach, Trump said, is often carried out by bureaucrats with an agenda whose actions are subject to little accountability.
“A permanent bureaucracy cannot become a fourth branch of government unanswerable to American voters,” said Trump. “In America, voters must always reign.”
Andy Johnson’s battle with the Environmental Protection Agency is at its end.
The Pacific Legal Foundation, who helped represent Johnson, announced this week that they have reached a settlement with the federal government about the pond Johnson built on his property in Uinta County.
Johnson’s pond has drawn the EPA’s ire for years. The fight started a few years ago when the EPA wrote to Johnson and said that the pond he built for his animals to drink from may have violated the Clean Water Act. Johnson was told he would be fined $37,500 each day if he didn’t restore the land.
As part of the settlement, Johnson agreed to plant willows by the pond and temporarily fence off part of it from livestock, according to the foundation.
While the two sides may not agree about Johnson’s pond, the Wyoming resident said the settlement was in his favor.
“It was actually more than we could have ever hoped for, even going to court,” he said. “It’s good. It’s a win-win.”
Jonathan Wood, Johnson’s attorney with PLF on the case, said that the foundation represented Johnson pro bono.
The pond will remain, Wood said, and Johnson won’t have to pay any fines.
