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Whacko Alert: Farming Dust To Be Regulated

Mike

Well-known member
EPA: Farming dust should be regulated
By MARCO SANTANA The Associated Press

Sunday, March 1, 2009



DES MOINES, Iowa - Nothing says summer in Iowa like a cloud of dust behind a combine.

But what may be a fact of life for farmers is a cause for concern to federal regulators, who are refusing to exempt growers from new environmental regulations.

It's left some farmers feeling bemused and more than a little frustrated.

"It's such a non-commonsense idea that you can keep dust within a property line when the wind blows," said Sen. Charles Grassley, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee who still farms in northeast Iowa.

Under rules imposed in 2006, rural areas would be kept to the same standards as urban areas for what the Environmental Protection Agency calls "coarse particulate matter" in the air.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council had petitioned the government to provide an exemption to farmers. They argued that evidence of harm caused by dust in rural areas hasn't been determined.

But the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington ruled Tuesday that the EPA had already provided the evidence necessary to determine farm dust "likely is not safe."

Michael Formica, a lawyer for the pork council, said this means farmers face the daunting task of proving a negative - that the dust is not harmful.

Formica said his and other groups will consider a further appeal.

Farmers said they will be hard-pressed to meet the standards.

In a letter sent Wednesday to the EPA, Grassley wrote that compliance is impossible because of the dust produced in farmers' day-to-day activities.

Grassley also has noted that because many rural roads are not paved, particulate readings could be affected by wind gusts that constantly change.

"After all, God decides when the wind blows, not Chuck Grassley," he said.

But the EPA said the regulation was overdue.

Every five years, the Clean Air Act requires the agency to review the newest scientific information and recommend changes to its standards.

EPA spokeswoman Cathy Milbourn said the changes are not just a matter of regulating dust. They serve the public's well-being and, regardless of whether someone lives in a rural or urban area, the threshold for unsafe levels of dust in the air must remain consistent nationally.

"It's health-based," she said. "We don't look at a particular industry. The goal is to protect public health."

When counties reach "non-attainment" levels, it becomes a state's responsibility to bring the county back into acceptable levels.

Milbourn said various options exist for states, such as retrofitting buses that run on diesel engines.

But farmers insist the regulation will affect their operations and eventually their bottom lines. And they said unlike fixing a bus, they have few options for limiting dust from their fields and roads.

Roger Zylstra, a director with the Iowa Corngrowers Association, said if left alone, farmers can compete worldwide. But regulation could impede their success.

He said there seems to be a disconnect between farmers and policymakers.

"Many of the people that are making the rules, it feels like they really don't know what (farming) issues are," said Zylstra, a Lynnville resident who has worked on a farm for 35 years.

Zylstra said it's hard not to get frustrated.

"We think we've met the demands that have been put upon us, and lo and behold, we have new and even more stringent demands. It seems really unrealistic."
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Mike said:
DES MOINES, Iowa - Nothing says summer in Iowa like a cloud of dust behind a combine.

That's odd.

I grew up in Minnesota, not far from the Iowa border.

We combined most of our crops in the fall. I think combining green crops would probably have gummed up the concave a little.

But anyway, exemptions obviously need to be made for harvestintg crops, but I'm all for regulating dust that is generated by CAFOs.
 

Larrry

Well-known member
I think combining green crops would probably have gummed up the concave a little.
Try going to oklahoma, kansas, neb, etc. in the summer and help cut wheat, you just might learn something
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Larrry said:
I think combining green crops would probably have gummed up the concave a little.
Try going to oklahoma, kansas, neb, etc. in the summer and help cut wheat, you just might learn something

Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

The writer was talking about Iowa.

Just about the only thing being combined in Iowa these days is corn and soybeans.

You typically don't combine those in the summer.

How much time have you spent running combine, Larrry?

Betcha I have more hours logged than you!

Just another writer who doesn't know his farming as well as he should.
 

Larrry

Well-known member
Too bad you missed the whole context of the article. But then of course you had to otherwise you would have to condemn your lovely envirowackos. The enviro wackos really need zombies like you to faithfully follow them into their dingbat agenda.
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Larrry said:
Too bad you missed the whole context of the article. But then of course you had to otherwise you would have to condemn your lovely envirowackos. The enviro wackos really need zombies like you to faithfully follow them into their dingbat agenda.

What exactly did I miss, oh wise one?

The usual whining from the industry hacks who would like to operate completely unfettered regardless of the public health consequences?

I guess you don't think the health of rural people is as important as the health of urban people?

Why do you think the pork producers are signed onto this? They are primarily concerned about dust emissions related to the hog industry and I'm sure the beef feedlot guys are right there alongside them and are using the example of harvesting dust and gravel roads as a smokescreen - or a dustcloud if that suits you better.

Looks like you're the one that has been mesmerized by the industry fat-cats and their blowhard lobbyists.
 

Larrry

Well-known member
I guess you don't think the health of rural people is as important as the health of urban people?
We have not had the regs up till now and rural people are some of the most healthy people there are.

The usual whining from the industry hacks who would like to operate completely unfettered regardless of the public health consequences?
No what you have is an invasion in the private sector trying to let the gov have uunfettered control and therefore taxation of more of society

But to sum it up in the simplest way(just for you even though you still will remain a clueless zombie)
SOCIALISM, JUST PLAIN PURE SOCIALISM

In case you don't know it abundant reasonable priced food does not grow on the Socialist Tree
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
Larrry said:
We have not had the regs up till now and rural people are some of the most healthy people there are.

[



http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1637683

Agriculture is considered one of the most hazardous occupations. Organic dusts and toxic gases constitute some of the most common and potentially disabling occupational and environmental hazards.

*******************
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/298811-overview

Farmer's lung is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis, is an immunologically mediated inflammatory disease of the lung involving the terminal airways (see Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis). The condition is associated with intense or repeated exposure to inhaled biologic dusts.

********************


http://www2.cdc.gov/drds/WorldReportData/SectionDetails.asp?ArchiveID=1&SectionTitleID=19



:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

You want more?
 

Cal

Well-known member
Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

The writer was talking about Iowa.

The EPA is involved, so it seems the regulations would be nationwide.

People have already been bi tching about the cost of food. Just wait until the government of Hope and Change gets done regulating.....then in four years they can throw a tissy fit over all of the hunger in America after they get voted out without mentioning why.
 

Cal

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
Larrry said:
We have not had the regs up till now and rural people are some of the most healthy people there are.

[



http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1637683

Agriculture is considered one of the most hazardous occupations. Organic dusts and toxic gases constitute some of the most common and potentially disabling occupational and environmental hazards.

*******************
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/298811-overview

Farmer's lung is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis, is an immunologically mediated inflammatory disease of the lung involving the terminal airways (see Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis). The condition is associated with intense or repeated exposure to inhaled biologic dusts.

********************


http://www2.cdc.gov/drds/WorldReportData/SectionDetails.asp?ArchiveID=1&SectionTitleID=19



:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

You want more?
Better pass a law requiring them to wear a dust mask when they work in dust whether they want to or not. Same with dry wallers and auto body techs.
 

Larrry

Well-known member
You are talkingof many different things



dust

Chemical poisoning

Accidents

You are including all in the dust category
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Cal said:
Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

The writer was talking about Iowa.

The EPA is involved, so it seems the regulations would be nationwide.

People have already been bi tching about the cost of food. Just wait until the government of Hope and Change gets done regulating.....then in four years they can throw a tissy fit over all of the hunger in America after they get voted out without mentioning why.

Maybe Obama can institute a cap and trade system on dust.
 

cowman52

Well-known member
I wish just once that the hungry would not be so, that the know it all that tells them they must remain hungry so a mouse in the desert may live, a snail in some creek may have dominion over their stomach, a child may never know a full belly because a cow fart offends the all knowing. I truly hope when your pluses & minuses are tolled up, you have enough pluses to comfort all that your short sighed views have heaped so much suffering on.
 
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