Government Regulations and US Industry —
An Evaluation of the Effects of the
Clean Water Rule of 2015
on the US Farming Industry
Macroeconomics
Lenica Gutierrez Bujalil
Adjunct Professor
Silberman Business College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Paul Hebert
Government Regulations and US Industry — Paul Hebert
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 3
THE CLEAN WATER RULE OF 2015 4
THE IMPACT OF THE CLEAN WATER RULE 6
CONCLUSION 9
WORKS CITED 11
Government Regulations and US Industry — Paul Hebert
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Introduction
There have always been questions and debate around the extent and role
government should play in the regulation of industry within the United States. This
is not to say that all government regulation is ill–conceived. However, in a free–
market society, where resources are limited and demand for products are high, it
is the responsibility for government to thoroughly evaluate all possible
consequences that these regulations may have on its citizenry. No matter how well–
intentioned, government regulations may end up having a sizeable impact and
result in causing more harm than good.
This paper will evaluate how one aspect of government regulation that
negatively impacted the farming industry. The effects of the Clean Water Rule of
2015 brought about dramatically higher costs for goods for the sake of trying to
impose stringent pollution standards on an already highly regulated industry.
The Clean Water Rule of 2015
In an effort to bolster the mandates of pollution governance and control for
industries set forth by the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972, President Barack
Obama, by way of an Executive Order, signed into law the Clean Water Rule in the
Spring of 2015. The CWA was originally written to established a basic structure for
regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and
regulating the quality standards for surface waters. (The Envirommental Protection
Agency, 2002)
The original intent of the Clean Water Rule was to make the process of
