The Ag Minute: EPA Should Consider Economic Costs of Regulations for Farmers

Statement

This week during The Ag Minute, guest host Rep. Rick Crawford discusses the latest efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose unnecessary regulations on farmers and ranchers. The agency is attempting to implement a rule under the oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) program that would require agricultural producers to make structural improvements to any oil storage facilities with a capacity of over 1,320 gallons. Recently, Rep. Crawford joined 100 of his colleagues in sending a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson asking her to reconsider the regulation because of the economic burden it would place on farmers.

Click here to listen to The Ag Minute. The transcript is below.

"Two weeks ago I, along with 100 of my colleagues, sent a letter to Administrator Lisa Jackson at the Environmental Protection Agency.

"In the letter I outlined the flaws in the devastating oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rule that would require farmers to spend tens of thousands of dollars building infrastructure that retains spills from oil storage facilities.

"Now, I understand the importance of keeping the environment clean, but I can't think of better stewards of the land and water than farmers and ranchers -- the ones who derive their livelihoods from the earth.

"This regulation is yet another outrageous example of the Obama Administration's overreach, where government thinks it knows better than the people who make this country great.

"It places an unnecessary burden on the agriculture community, diverting resources farmers and ranchers could use to expand their operations and create jobs.

"In this time of economic uncertainty, the government needs to support our job creators by getting out of their way, not hurt them by constantly imposing unnecessary regulations that costs time and money to meet."

The Ag Minute is Chairman Lucas's weekly radio address that is released from the House Agriculture Committee.

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