Aggies urge Vilsack to rein in Jackson at EPA
February 17, 2011 | 06:46 PM | Filed in: USDA Environmental Protection Agency
A series of House and Senate Agriculture committee members today told Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory zeal is the biggest problem in rural America, and urged him to try to influence EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s decision making.
The many House Republicans criticizing EPA were not a surprise, but even Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said “some common sense” needed to be applied to EPA’s consideration of new rules to treat spilled milk the same as oil and to force farmers to try to control dust. Vilsack said that he has encouraged Jackson to travel in rural America and that he is trying to quantify the conservation measures that farmers are taking.
But when Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told Vilsack that EPA stands for “End Production Agriculture,” Vilsack had the last word.
“Can I share in the proceeds from the bumper sticker you’ve just created?” Vilsack asked his fellow Iowan.
The many House Republicans criticizing EPA were not a surprise, but even Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said “some common sense” needed to be applied to EPA’s consideration of new rules to treat spilled milk the same as oil and to force farmers to try to control dust. Vilsack said that he has encouraged Jackson to travel in rural America and that he is trying to quantify the conservation measures that farmers are taking.
But when Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told Vilsack that EPA stands for “End Production Agriculture,” Vilsack had the last word.
“Can I share in the proceeds from the bumper sticker you’ve just created?” Vilsack asked his fellow Iowan.
