Marathon Pundit: Kinzinger statement on Farm Dust Act passing House

Thursday, December 08, 2011

Kinzinger statement on Farm Dust Act passing House

Bureau County, 11th cong. dist.

The overreaching EPA was slapped today in the House of Representatives. Adam Kinzinger's office explains in a press release.

House Passes Legislation to Protect Illinois Agriculture Community
Farm Dust Act Prohibits EPA from Over-Regulating 'Nuisance Dust' in Rural Areas

Washington, D.C. – Today Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a co-sponsor of the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633), issued the following statement upon House passage:

Although EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has stated she will not change the current standards in place under the Clean Air Act in regards to farm dust, the fact of the matter is that the regulatory environment under which she can lower the allowable threshold is still in place.

The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act simply puts into statutory law that the current levels acceptable to the EPA Administrator under the Clean Air Act are more than enough to sustain our air quality standards.

Without this legislation in place, farmers, ranchers, and rural businesses are subject to costly federal and state requirements to control 'nuisance dust'. This dust consists mainly of soil and other natural or biological materials and is often picked up by vehicles on dirt roads and moving plows or livestock in fields. Through the EPA's own admission, it has been determined that the evidence to support the claims of negative impacts of farm dust, are extremely weak.

Over and over again, I hear from my constituents that federal regulations are harming America's farmers. Farmers around the 11th District and the Illinois Farm Bureau support the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act as it provides regulatory certainty to the rural community. Today's legislation protects Illinois agriculture, which is a vital contributor to our economy and eliminates over-regulation which can ultimately impede job creation and deprives farmers of valuable time and resources.