EPA Farm Dust Rule A 'Myth,' Agency Says

WASHINGTON -- The EPA is trying to put to rest what it calls a "myth" that it is going to crack down on farm dust.

In letters to two senators last week, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency won't expand its current air quality standards to include dust created by agriculture. The agency released the letters Monday.

Republicans and some farm-state Democrats have used the issue on the campaign trail, arguing that the EPA is set to penalize farmers for everyday activities. Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said in a recent debate that the agency is "out of control" and was preparing to regulate dust.

The House GOP has pushed a host of measures aimed at weakening, delaying or scrapping environmental regulations in recent months, saying they view them as job killers. Similar efforts are not expected to be successful in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Obama administration officials have tried to deflect talk of a dust rule for months, to little avail. A statement released by the agency Monday said that "EPA hopes that this action finally puts an end to the myth that the agency is planning to expand regulations of farm dust."

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said there has been considerable anxiety in farm country about the possibility of increased regulation on agriculture.

"We hope this action finally puts to rest the misinformation regarding dust regulation and eases the minds of farmers and ranchers across the country," Johnson said.

Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns and South Dakota Rep. Kristi Noem, both Republicans, have pushed legislation that would block the dust rule if it had been proposed.

Noem issued a statement Monday saying that the announcement does nothing to change the fact that the agency has the ability to regulate farm dust. But Johanns called the EPA statement a "victory," saying he would abandon an amendment on the issue he planned to offer to a spending bill this week.

"EPA has finally provided what I've been asking for all along," Johanns said. "Unequivocal assurance that it won't attempt to regulate farm dust."

Comments

[BluePhantom2]

05:51 PM on 10/19/2011

I anticipate some structural changes to teh EPA following the current administrations removal. These so called rules should be laws passed by elected officials.

[Tordenskjold]

02:30 PM on 12/08/2011

As it turns out, elected officials did set up the EPA. In 1970 during the Nixon admin, it was voted on by elected congressmen and senators and signed by Nixon and charged with monitoring and regulating air and water quality. it is currently used by republicans much like sharia law, to cause fear among the fearful.
Locally it does a lot of work with local groups, conservation districts etc to improve environmental quality. Typically providing grants to local governments and groups to get this job done.

[TomDi]

12:45 PM on 10/19/2011

Here another EPA FAIL: The Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Transportation approved the stimulus grant to Mountain Plaza Inc., the truck stop’s owner, despite many red flags. The company, whose creditors included the state and federal governments, filed for bankruptcy protection in the middle of the process. A review of public records shows evidence of the company and its owner’s past and present financial troubles was readily available. Another $424Million down the drain. You liberals must be rolling in money to continue to support this nonesense in the name of so-called green energy.

[dknowles60]

05:15 PM on 10/19/2011

well said

[TomDi]

07:12 PM on 10/19/2011

Thanks. I doesn't seem to end with these people. Hopefully, one day,, they will get it.

[dknowles60]

01:46 AM on 10/20/2011

you are wellcome

[rocksage7]

11:38 AM on 10/19/2011

There are some real problems in the farm zones, that the EPA could fix...why do they just let bad stuff go? are they paid off under the table...YA...follow the money....they have been compromised..what can we do.....OWS....to the streets..we need a voice so we the 99% can start fixing things with common sense solutions ....there are good answers for the problems ....money in politics has destroyed our system...REVOLUTION............now........to the streets

[dknowles60]

05:16 PM on 10/19/2011

fed gov cant handle common sense solutions

[rocksage7]

08:07 PM on 10/19/2011

well who then? private corporations do not care for the environment....earth first.....

[iknowscottyknows]

11:04 PM on 10/18/2011

It's hard to tell the false stupid regulatory stories about the EPA from the actual stupid regulations they have imposed or wish to impose.

[priceut]

04:34 PM on 10/18/2011

When I think of all we've lost since the EPA has been intruding into our lives, I shudder. They've taken away our petroleum distillates from rivers and lakes. They've taken away our polychlorinated biphenyls and our chlorofluorocarbons. Now they're after our mercury emissions. Well, if they ever want to go after our farm dust, they can pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

[dknowles60]

05:18 PM on 10/19/2011

if after mercury then why out law the indesant light buld and put compact fol in your home witch are full of mercury

[tmpjunior]

04:14 PM on 10/18/2011

This issue is kind of like the Birther issue. Maybe we should call them Dusters. But seriously, it is just another effort by the Regressive Party to gut environmental regulations through fear, anxiety and falsehood.

And, FWIW, most farmers work very hard to control dust because it is nothing more than their valuable topsoil being lost.

[Genders]

03:02 PM on 10/18/2011

We SHOULD regulate dust!

Have we forgotten the dust bowl?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl#U.S._Government_response

Do you realize that dust=soot, ash from from tractors and machinery?

Or that dust from Asia causes pulmonary diseases in the USA?

[Mrguitar]

03:38 PM on 10/18/2011

Try efficiently producing enough food to feed 6 billion people without creating dust. Let me know how it worked out.

[Genders]

03:50 PM on 10/18/2011

You got it backwards. go to the link.

You can't feed the world if you DON"T control dust.

[Genders]

03:55 PM on 10/18/2011

As if on Que....http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/18/lubbock-texas-dust-storm-video_n_1017566.html#comments

"Lubbock, Texas Dust Storm: Massive Dust Clouds Roll Over West Texas "

[StJames]

09:49 AM on 10/18/2011

Fascinating technique....the GOP makes up a lie, then they keep repeating it until it gains legs, then they begin attacking the agency about which they lied until finally the agency has to make a public statement ...meanwhile the GOP is assured people will be riled up and few will ever learn the truth.  ACORN & voter fraud, Planned Parenthood,  farm dust....the list is endless.

[beckjr2000]

10:15 AM on 10/18/2011

You know nothing of which you speak! Environmental Protection Agency has, in effect, declared hay a pollutant, potentially requiring farmers and ranchers to store it in pollution containment zones.
The issue stems from a compliance order from EPA’s Region 7 charging Callicrate Feeding Company with environmental violations. The Region 7 office outlined the alleged violations in an August 22 news release. Following is the information provided regarding the Callicrate operation in the release:
“A.J. Jones, d/b/a Callicrate Feeding Company, St. Francis, Kan. - An inspection in February 2011 identified significant NPDES permit violations, including failure to maintain adequate wastewater storage capacity, failure to meet Nutrient Management Plan requirements, failure to conduct operations within areas that are controlled in a manner capable of preventing pollution, and failure to maintain adequate records. The order requires the operation to comply with all terms of the Clean Water Act and its NPDES permit, and to coordinate with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on its compliance. The order requires the operation to comply with the terms of its Nutrient Management Plan, including sampling and recordkeeping requirements. The feedlot has a permitted capacity of 12,000 cattle and was confining approximately 3,219 cattle at the time of the inspection.”

[StJames]

11:50 AM on 10/18/2011

I didn't see anything about DUST in that complaint...Feedlots should be outlawed, period.  Wastewater is indeed a pollutant, perhaps you would like to drink it?  Or perhaps you already have?   Your user name tells much about you.

[Steelheadangler]

01:16 PM on 10/18/2011

What does this order have to do with hay? No where in the complaint was hay mentioned only improper record keeping, nutrient management violations and clean water act violations. You are part of the problem.

[cyanmanta]

06:37 AM on 10/18/2011

Counter-legislating to block legislation that doesn't exist. This is what passes for intelligent political discourse in America today...

[realpolitic]

02:17 AM on 10/18/2011

Sure, what harm can a little dust do.  Just ask the farmers of the Great Dust Bowl era.

[Brian Novotny]

10:29 PM on 10/17/2011

What is in the dust, toxic pesticides, fertilizers which are also toxic, or just plain old dirt from wind erosion. Keep on burnin up that soil and you will have another dust bowl. Smart farming practices are not followed in all places due to profit over everything else. Just another in the long list of leave us alone so we can rape and pillage the land and the heck with whoever is downwind, it is none of their business. Actually, yes it is, if you are dumping toxic waste in my backyard pal, I may just go get my gun and pay you a visit.

[AJH]

12:55 AM on 10/18/2011

This was a surrogate battle on coarse PM i.e. everything above 2.5 and less than 10 microns. EPA is moving to focusing on sub 2.5 and ultrafine sub 1 micron particles. They didn't need a battle on coarse PM which is largely recognized as more of a nuissance than health issue at this point.

Functionally non farm sources are largely regulated already and there isn't much BACT available for farming itself.

There remains in effect a NAAQS for PM10, if air basins exceed it local air districts or the EPA if the state doesn't have authority will add control measures.

[SitandStay]

01:07 AM on 10/18/2011

"Regulated" like Bluewater Horizon?
The only significant regulation comes well after the fact when the monsters of corporate pollution have executed such grievous offenses that they finally become obvious to the public and noted in MSM (which almost never). We need many more whistleblowers that result in speedy trials without just a government levied fine. Once they rise to the level of attention by the MSM, then they should be held in the public arena until the issues are completely resolved.
I'm still waiting for the secret slaughtering of horses taken from this country to MX or CA for slaughter by KB's (kill buyers). A little OT but important and another reason citizens have become so disillusioned with our government.

[realpolitic]

02:18 AM on 10/18/2011

Good points!

[CivilDebate10]

09:30 PM on 10/17/2011

Bogus, Bogus, Bogus. Essentially the EPA has said, "yeah, we COULD regulate farm dust if we wanted to be we won't do that...... now" GEES, this is exactly what is wrong with our out of control government....there is no way they should even have that power. How many liberals would feel comfortable with a government saying "just trust us, we have the power to monitor your every activity but we won't do it... yet" ?

[Mr Anonymous]

10:31 PM on 10/17/2011

You mean like under Bush when they did?
I understand where you are coming from, because I live in a pretty strong farming area, but your really comparing apples to oranges on this one.

[realpolitic]

02:19 AM on 10/18/2011

Regulating dust does not translate to monitoring every activity.  Why can't conservatives think more rigorously?

[Malcolm Hensley]

09:12 PM on 10/17/2011

I thought they already do that!

http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/conference/ei12/dm/yu.pdf

And it appears for good reason.

Excuse me as someone who works in manufacturing and has lots of EPA rules to deal with if I sound less than sympathetic.

[AJH]

12:58 AM on 10/18/2011

They already have a PM 10 NAAQS, they have decided not to lower it if the story is accurate. Functionally farming has generally escaped regulation at the implementation level while coarse PM sources like construction and mining have been targetted for reductions instead.

[she343]

02:38 PM on 10/18/2011

I worked in the chem. industry, starting in the late 70s--the THREAT of gov. regs was enough to get the company to do some serious work in reducing crap coming out of the stacks. They spent up front but ended up making money! ...............
A "rule" is good if it makes sense and helps everyone--does the gov. also help the farmers by adviseing on how to reduce dust? Is it a matter of money, time, or "it's the way we have always done it"?
A lot of facts are missing in this discussion!

[ambrecel]

08:19 PM on 10/17/2011

Questions: does crop rotation exist with mono-farming techniques, or are chemicals used to keep using the same land over and over again? Also are those chemicals considered dust or are they fertilizers and pesticides added to seed?

[Hal May]

11:32 AM on 10/18/2011

Yes crop rotation exists on monoculture farms, but that still doesn't eliminate the need for petro chemicals. The solution to eliminate pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and fungicides requires first that farmers continue to save seeds over generations to preserve genetic diversity within crops which is the opposite of what is going on now thanks to Monsanto. Secondly farms must become smaller and grow a diversity of crops within the same growing space.

[Joseph Glackin]

07:46 PM on 10/17/2011

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."
Mark Twain, And the Greedy One Percent are masters at lying.

[Malcolm Hensley]

09:15 PM on 10/17/2011

http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/conference/ei12/dm/yu.pdf

well it appears the EPA is the one with their pants on fire!

[AJH]

12:16 PM on 10/18/2011

You might have missed the results of that study.

"In summary, the changes decreased our land preparation emission estimates by about 60%, from 34,000 to 13,000 tons PM10 per year. This is primarily because on average, the new California land preparation emission factors are lower than the previous EPA AP-42 default value."

In essence it said land preperation for farming contributed 60% less than previously thought to overall PM10 concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley.

[dknowles60]

05:22 PM on 10/19/2011

very well said