Wyoming rancher praises Trump Administration for environmental regulation enforcement changes

A Wyoming rancher is praising the Trump Administration for new changes to environmental rules. Andrew Johnson attended the signing of two executive orders at the White House.

Back in 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency told Johnson that a pond, he built on his own ranch, was in violation of the ‘Clean Water Act.'

He was ordered to pay more than 37 thousand dollars a day until he fixed it.

Johnson fought back and eventually settled his high-profile lawsuit without having to pay the fine.

President Donald Trump calls what happened to Johnson "abusive."

So, he signed an executive order, that would require federal agencies, like the EPA, to give residents fair notice of complaints before they are ordered to pay.

"If nothing else it brings a spotlight to the EPA and to the other government agencies and puts the responsibility back on them," said Johnson.

Stan Meiburg, a former EPA official who worked in the Obama administration responded to the orders with the following statement:

“The Executive Orders in question will make it more difficult, not less, for agencies to use appropriate flexibility and focus their enforcement on significant violators of environmental law.”