Why Farmers and Ranchers Dread Summer
This is Susan Allen reporting for Open Range back with why farmers and ranchers might be dreading summer. Lisa Jackson Director of the Environmental Protection Agency has put a damper on summer fun for farmers and ranchers with her recent announcement that she will make a decision on whether to tighten dust control this July. Who will she be influenced by the most? maybe the environmental scientists who call for strict regulations against agricultural dust, particles that have been a component of farming for generations or lets hope her very own staff who have listened to the concerns of livestock and farm groups and are urging Jackson to either lower standards set in place since 1987 or at the very least keep the current limit. She is also getting heat from four U.S. representatives who are mounting an offensive move with a bill introduced last week that would bar the EPA from fiddling with the dust rule. Changing the dust rule is not a popular strategy as a quarter of all the members of the house have also sent a letter to Ms Jackson voicing their frustration over even considering more legislation against dust particles 10 microns and under. According to a Reuters report, farm groups basically don’t like the EPA intruding into agriculture and private property rights. They fear aggressive dust regulation will become a pandora’s box leading to more water and run off regulations and even tighter spray drift legislation. Jackson getting hammered from all sides but was appears pretty down confident when recently quoted as saying “it’s my decision to make a final recommendation, that’ll happen in July." Wow.
