Agricultural News
NCBA Calls on EPA Administrator to Take Low Road
Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:31:19 CDT
The Environmental Protection Agency has released its final Policy Assessment for the Review of the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In the assessment, agency staffers determined that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson would be justified in either keeping the current standard or tightening it to a level that would be essentially twice as stringent for much of rural America. The final policy assessment states the two standards are essentially equivalent in terms of health protection.
According to Tamara Thies, chief environmental counsel for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the good news is the policy assessment includes options rather than a stand-alone recommendation. She says the bad news is EPA can still choose to regulate dust in a way that would put a stranglehold on rural America. According to Thies, finalizing a rule that would result in heavy fines for creating dust by simply driving down a dirt road or herding cattle is unacceptable.
Administrator Jackson has complained recently about so-called 'myths and misconceptions' about her intentions regarding this issue. NCBA urges her to put all our minds at ease by declaring unequivocally that EPA's actions will not result in a more restrictive regulation of dust in rural America. Also, Thies says it is the administrator's opportunity to reduce a mounting pile of regulations on agriculture.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
