09/27/06 Dust devils

Dust Devils It seems like there are always over regulation fires to put out or in this case dust devils to water down. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to explain. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is thinking about changes to its National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The proposed rule EPA presented exempted dust generated by agriculture production, which included cattle operations. But the "never-saw-a-regulation-we didn't-like" mentality of many government agencies took over and the EPA may exclude the exemption. If the change takes place EPA could regulate agricultural dust with rules governing dust produced by tilling soil and planting and harvesting crops. A couple of the more ridiculous regulations could set standards for driving on dirt roads or moving cattle in feedlots. I guess I have lived around dust too long to see the need for more regulations. Dust has been blowing before there was an EPA. The great buffalo herds created trails that could produce plenty of dust for the wind to have fun with. But maybe that dust was more natural than dust made by agricultural practices so it would have been considered good dust. I imagine desert dust storms would produce natural dust also  it seems there is just something about dust created by natural human beings going about the work of producing food that government agencies or the people that administers them just can't stand. I'm Jeff Keane.