Rumble & OSHA Addresses Concerns
Rumble & OSHA Addresses Concerns plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
There was an awful lot of screaming and stomping of feet going on Sunday as the Seahawk's tamed the Broncos but enough to cause a minor earthquake? It is true that a small earthquake shook an area north of Tacoma that registered 3.0 on the Richter scale but the tremor was recorded yesterday afternoon at 12:29pm. Th quake occurred 5.6 miles north-northwest of Tacoma and 20 miles south of Seattle. I guess there could have been some residual revelry as a cause.
OSHA has been called upon to address concerns that it is violating an appropriations rider prohibiting OSHA enforcement on certain farming operations. Former Ag Secretary, now Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns says Congress has included very specific language.
JOHANNS: It prohibits OSHA from enforcement on small farms.
Jordan Barab,Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA.
BARAB: We take the small farm rider very seriously and we make every effort to comply strictly with it. It's not been our intent nor our policy, nor our practice to target small farms for inspection in violation of the Congressional rider.
Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.
Sound science doesn't appear to have the clout it once did. At least that's how it seems when it comes to government regulating. Take for instance the EPA's proposal to reduce RFS blending requirements from 14.4 billion gallons to 13.01 billion gallons, basing their decision on a belief that RIN credits raise retail gas prices. Recent and not so recent studies have shown that RFS policies actually decrease gas prices and should not be a reason to reevaluate or change RFS levels. In one instance authors of a quite recent study, which shows that as RIN prices increase the retail prices for both E85 and E10 decrease, state that, "Our results should reassure those in Congress and the Administration who are worried that following the RFS commitment to expanding the use of renewable fuels will result in sharply higher fuel prices for consumers. There may be sound policy reasons that could justify Congress revisiting the RFS. However, concern about higher pump prices for consumers is not one of them."
Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
