The Arsenic/Juice Debate & Farm Dust Act

The Arsenic/Juice Debate & Farm Dust Act plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011 has passed the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, with bipartisan support. It now moves to the full House. One congressman charged the GOP with attacking a myth - what EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has billed “fairy dust” - since she’s dropped any plans to tighten EPA’s dust standard. Energy and Power Subcommittee Chair Ed Whitfield of Kentucky disagreed.

WHITFIELD: It doesn’t make any difference what Administrator Jackson said, we know groups that are prepared to file lawsuits to require this ambient air quality, particulate matter standard to be changed. For example, Wild Earth Guardians is considering suing the EPA over this very matter.

The advocacy group Consumers Union is urging the Food and Drug Administration to lower its standards for arsenic levels in juice drinks. The results of a new study released Wednesday indicate that 10 percent of juices tested had total arsenic levels greater than the FDA's standard for drinking water of 10 parts per billion (ppb), while 25 percent of juices also had lead levels higher than the FDA's bottled water limit of 5 ppb. The FDA says the tests were done incorrectly and the actual levels of arsenic are within standards.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

At first glance it may seem that the Idaho Cattle Association has taken a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” stance with their groups effort to add a felony provision to the state’s animal welfare law in 2012, but in reality it is more akin to “heading them off at the pass”. The Humane Society of the United States has been on a nation wide animal rights campaign over the last several years, methodically going from state to state pushing expensive animal welfare ballot initiatives that have for the most part been highly successful in convincing voters while concealing the group’s true motives; costing farmers and ranchers millions of dollars in reform changes. Idaho has been targeted by the HSUS because it’s one of the few states left that doesn’t have a felony provision for animal cruelty; every reason then for ranchers and farmers in that state to be proactive in hopes that the HSUS will not pursue an animal welfare ballot in the state. In dealing with the HSUS farmers and ranchers have learned to be very cautious and to not take things at face value. As the old saying goes, “keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer”.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.