Kyle Adams is reporting in The Daily Mail the Greene County Legislature has taken a position against a proposed modification to the Clean Water Act. In a resolution passed last week, lawmakers alleged the regulation will burden farmers with “costly and time-consuming permitting and regulatory protocols." Greene County Legislator James Hitchcock accused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers of wanting to expand the definition of the existing Clean Water Act. The Maplecrest Republican said under the agency's proposal, “a large puddle in a field, a typical farm field, could be considered navigable waters." He called the rule "EPA overreach at its worst." Legislators and agricultural groups fear the changes will require many public works projects and farm activities to go through the permitting process required under the Clean Water Act, which is expected to increase costs to farmers, and to taxpayers, as well. The public comment period for the proposed rule is open until Oct. 20. For more information, go to water [dot] EPA [dot] gov.