Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Roberts to EPA Administrator: Farmers and Ranchers Under Attack from Agency

In a meeting today with Senate Agriculture Committee Republicans and Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator Pat Roberts said the agency has unfairly targeted farmers, ranchers and rural America with burdensome regulations. Audio here. “Kansans tell me the Agency’s work to regulate fuel storage tanks, prescribed burning of the Flint Hills prairie, cap and trade, pesticide permits, fugitive dust, let alone coal power and our water resources is an assault on our way of life,” Roberts said. “The rocky relationship between Midwest agriculture and the EPA is not new, but the latest round of proposed regulations is making many folks believe the rules are driven by an anti-agriculture agenda that is hurting the Kansas economy.” In the meeting, Roberts expressed frustration with the Agency’s recent dismissal of concerns from Kansans regarding the proposed Waters of the U.S. rules. Roberts took issue with the EPA’s recent campaign calling these concerns “myths.” “Just two weeks ago, you were in Missouri to meet with producers regarding the proposed Waters of the United States regulation. Farmers and ranchers had hoped they would be able to persuade you to recognize the far reaching and negative impacts of the proposed and interpretive rules, but the reports back have not been positive.” Roberts said. “To hear that their concerns were categorized as ‘silly’ or ‘ludicrous’ is truly frustrating.”...more

You have to appreciate what Senator Roberts is saying, and thank him for saying it.  But on the other hand here is a guy who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1980 to 1996, and has served in the Senate since 1997.  So whatever actions EPA takes it does so because politicians like Roberts have voted to grant that authority to EPA and have annually voted to fund the agency to undertake those actions.  Grilling agency heads is nice but just spewing words will bring no change. Maybe that's why he's refusing to debate his opponent in the Republican primary.

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