Agricultural News
NCBA Counsel Hopes Congress Permanently Solves SPCC Rule Threat Facing Farmers
Wed, 15 May 2013 16:26:25 CDT
As the Water Resources Development Act makes its way through the Senate, there is one amendment to it that would be good for agriculture according to Ashley McDonald, deputy environmental counsel for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. The amendment has to do with exempting farmers from the Spill Convention Control and Countermeasure rule.
"We're talking about fuel spills on farms and how the EPA regulates who has to have a plan and what those plans have to contain. So we have had a rule out there for many, many years now that the implementation date has been delayed and delayed and pushed back for farms. It's a very expensive rule if you are wrapped up under it, especially if you have to have your spill plan certified by a professional engineer.
McDonald said the rule went into effect on May 10th of this year, but that Senator Jim Inhofe was able to get an amendment attached to the continuing resolution to fund the government that prevents the EPA from enforcing the SPCC rule against farms through September.
"That buys a little time for Congress to come in and actually craft a solution to this issue," she said.
She also said Inhofe has succeeded in gaining an exemption in WRDA that would exempt farmers from the provisions of the SPCC if they have less than 6,000 gallons of aggregate fuel storage, pending the outcome of a study.
"So it changed from the original bill language out there known as the Fuels Act, but it is an improvement over the current regulation which took effect May 10th, but won't be enforced until October 1st. So, we are hoping that WRDA will eventually pass and we'll get something similar out of the House that we can work with and that, ultimately, we can significantly ease the burden of this regulation before that October 1st deadline."
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