On Friday, Congressman Tim Huelskamp met with Karl Brooks, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During their meeting, Congressman Huelskamp advocated for much-needed regulatory relief for farmers and ranchers. In particular, he raised the specter of proposed Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations and the detrimental effects they will have on farms and ranches.
After pressure from Congressman Huelskamp and other members of Congress, he was pleased to learn that the EPA will not retroactively enforce the new SPCC mandates.
Huelskamp released this statement following the meeting:
"I am pleased to announce that the EPA will not retroactively enforce the new SPCC regulatory mandates they have proposed for farmers and ranchers. This regulatory mandate would have hurt farms of all sizes." Huelskamp continued:"The recognition by the EPA that enforcement would be untimely and ultimately unproductive is a step in the right direction. It also gives Congress additional time to do the right thing, and pass legislation like H.R. 311, of which I am a supporter, which will stop this over-regulation in its tracks."