Lots of environmental bills in Congressional hopper

Farm and Ranch October 28, 2010 A U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee staff person told a meeting of the National Association of Wheat Growers Environment and Renewable Resources Committee last weekend that there are two dozen bills in Congress dealing with the environment that could impact farmers.

Hasselstrom: “That just brought to light to the whole committee and everyone in that room, we feel overwhelmed all the time but now we see why.”

That is Eric Hasselstrom of Idaho who is chair of NAWG’s Environment Committee.

Hasselstrom: “We were asked to just get in contact with your local legislators and Congressmen and Senators and tell your story and explain what this will do on your operation. And I think that will be the best thing that we can do as farmers and NAWG to prevent detrimental things to agriculture in the upcoming Congress.”

The NAWG committee also got briefed on legislation introduced by Senate Ag Chair Blanche Lincoln and Ranking Minority Member Saxby Chambliss that would clarify that additional permits are not needed to spray crop protection chemicals near water. A federal court ruling has led the Environmental Protection Agency to propose that a Clean Water Act permit is needed by farmers. That’s despite the fact that pesticides have always been regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net.