Agricultural News
Lawmakers Speak of Concerns About Activist EPA During Senate Ag Committee Hearing on EPA Impact on Agriculture
Fri, 24 Sep 2010 7:03:34 CDT
Members of the Senate Ag Committee lined up to take the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to the woodshed on Thursday. Lisa Jackson was the star witness to appear during an afternoon hearing designed to look at the impact on agriculture of EPA regulations- as proposed or as being discussed.
U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide America’s farmers and ranchers certainty and stability, not additional burdensome and costly environmental regulations.
“At a time when every American feels anxious about his or her own economic future, our farmers, ranchers, and foresters are facing at least ten new regulatory requirements that will drive up their costs and make it more difficult to compete in the global marketplace. These regulations rely on dubious rationales and, as a consequence, will be of questionable benefit to the goal of conservation and environmental protection,” Lincoln said. “Farmers face so many unknowns – the last thing they need is regulatory uncertainty. Our farmers, ranchers and foresters need clear, straightforward, and predictable rules to live by that are not burdensome, duplicative, costly, unnecessary, or in some cases just plain bizarre.” Click here for the full opening statement from Senator Lincoln.
The top Republican on the Committee, Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, also is concerned about the EPA's intentions. “According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. agriculture sector is improving and exports are growing,” said Sen. Chambliss. “The question we then ask is what impact EPA’s regulatory plans will have on future opportunities for growth. Given the regulatory issues before us, I believe the EPA’s plans will hinder growth in agriculture and rural America.”
Sen. Chambliss highlighted examples of the more than 20 different efforts underway at EPA that affect agriculture. He cited the EPA’s suite of regulations that will drive up costs for all energy users, bring large and small agribusinesses into a permitting program and within a few years require large farms to obtain air permits. Additionally, Sen. Chambliss discussed the EPA’s plans to impose an unnecessary paperwork burden on pesticide users.
EPA's Jackson claims there is no intention of harming agriculture in any way- adding that she has no personal agenda of any sort against production agriculture. You can hear her opening comments from the hearing by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
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