LUCAS FIRES BACK AT EPA
Published online: Oct 07, 2010
Potato Harvesting, Seed Potatoes, Potato Equipment
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WASHINGTON, D.C.-Last week, Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) along with his House Agriculture Committee colleague Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging it to refrain from imposing burdensome farm dust regulations on America's growers and ranchers. Rep. Lummis spearheaded the effort and the letter was sent with the support of 74 other U.S. Representatives.
The EPA is reviewing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM). The Second Draft Policy Assessment (PA) for PM released on July 8 in the Federal Register lays the foundation for establishing the most stringent and unparalleled regulation of dust in our nation's history. Presently, scientific studies do not support the need for revising the dust standard. In fact, according to the PA, the science would justify leaving it as is. Yet, the Obama administration is signaling its intent to proceed with the new standard.
"Dust is a daily factor of farm life and it's been around since before the first plow was ever created. To try to regulate it out of existence as the Obama administration is trying to do lacks any kind of good sense there is. This would be laughable if it weren't so serious, if it didn't put the livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers in economic jeopardy. The threat that the EPA will impose what amounts to a zero-tolerance on farm dust is a great concern and I urge the EPA to reconsider this policy path," Ranking Member Frank Lucas.