12/14/05 Superfund

Superfund Just to keep you up-to-date on efforts from the extreme environmentalists I have a little story for you. I'm Jeff Keane and I'll be right back. Extreme environmentalists are trying to change laws to fit their agenda of crippling production agriculture. A house sub-committee in Washington, D.C. is discussing applying Superfund environment clean-up laws to include ranches, farms and feed yards. Superfund laws were enacted by Congress to address toxic waste dump and spill sites. National Cattlemen's Beef Association representatives testified during the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials hearing and stated manure is natural organic fertilizer not toxic waste and its management is regulated under various state and federal laws. National Cattlemen's Beef Association speakers also reminded the subcommittee that Superfund laws do exempt fertilizer and other substances used by ranchers, farms and feed yards. Representative Tom Osborne, Nebraska has now co-sponsored H.R. 4341 that would specifically exempt manure from Superfund regulations. You know I think this is just another example of misguided, overzealous environmentalists trying to stifle production in the guise of saving the environment. I cannot see the connection between toxic waste and livestock waste. I don't think very many proud backyard gardeners would consider their productive pampered plots of ground toxic waste sites. I'm Jeff Keane Western Livestock Reporter 11/23/05