10/03/06 Superfund and manure

American Rancher October 3, 2006 One issue livestock producers wanted Congress to address before its pre-election recess, which it didn't, was legislation clarifying agriculture's exemption from Superfund regulations. Jay Truitt, Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the legislation is needed in light of recent lawsuits that attempt to apply Superfund regulations to manure in a manner that was clearly never intended by Congress. Truitt says the needed legislation has 185 cosponsors in the U.S. House and 30 cosponsors in the Senate, but he says despite that strong showing of support livestock producers face an uphill battle. Truitt: "It has been a tough battle in Senate. We are going to have some real opposition to any exemptions to any environmental regulations within the body of the Senate. So it is going to take a lot of work from producers as well. We have encouraged every producer in the U.S. to be as aggressive as they can talking to their members of Congress on both the House and Senate side. Go our to our website. Send in letters. Do what every they can to support this effort so that we can bring some common sense back in. Manure may not be a pleasant matter but certainly is not a hazardous matter and that is what this discussion is about." Truitt says action is needed before the misuse of Superfund laws gain any further momentum in the courts. I'm Bob Hoff.