House Agriculture Committee investigates flaws in EPA farm regulations in US – 95.3 MNC

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations affecting the agriculture industry came under scrutiny Wednesday during a hearing in the House Agriculture Committee.

“Producers should not have to worry about the federal government acting against them,” said Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15), who serves as chairman of the House Ag Committee.

In his opening remarks, Thompson highlighted recent actions that have biased the EPA against agriculture.

“Last summer, the EPA released a draft sensitive species pilot program and a draft herbicide strategy that will have a direct impact on producers’ ability to use these critical tools and will cost billions to comply with. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture of this administration has expressed serious concerns about these actions,” he said.

“The Biden administration’s attacks on American agriculture don’t stop at crop protection tools. Earlier this year, the EPA released a proposed rule that significantly changes effluent limitation guidelines for meat and poultry processing. While Biden’s USDA spends millions to supposedly expand meat and poultry processing capacity, his EPA is simultaneously proposing a rule that would close processing plants and impose significant compliance costs on industries critical to food security,” he said.

Thompson also noted farmers’ concern for the environment.

“American farmers and ranchers are the original conservatives. No one cares more about the environment than those whose livelihoods depend on it. They work tirelessly to provide consumers with the safest, most abundant and cheapest supply of food and fiber in the world. Agriculture is like no other industry. Producers are at the mercy of many uncontrollable factors, including extreme weather, natural disasters, pests and diseases, input costs and geopolitical unrest,” he said.

Among those testifying before the House Agriculture Committee was Chris Chinn, Missouri’s agriculture director. During her testimony, Chinn emphasized the need for federal agencies to more meaningfully include state departments of agriculture in regulatory policy discussions, commonly known as cooperative federalism.

“When it comes to protecting the environment, agricultural producers and communities of all sizes rely on EPA decisions that are based on sound science, collaboration and transparency at every step of the process,” Chinn said. “It’s time for EPA to bring agriculture in general, and state departments of agriculture in particular, into the conversation early and often to find solutions that can advance environmental protection and agricultural production.”

Chinn said EPA cooperation would elevate the critical responsibilities of state departments of agriculture as co-regulatory partners while reducing the negative impact of burdensome mandates on American agriculture.

“Regulations must be based on proven science and science-based risk assessments,” Chinn said. “To achieve this goal, the federal government must embrace a co-regulatory role with states—elevating them as true partners in the regulatory process, not just stakeholders.”

Discussing the EPA’s Vulnerable Species Pilot Project and Herbicide Strategy as part of the 2022 Endangered Species Act Work Plan Update, Chinn noted that the lack of cooperation from the EPA resulted in a framework that was not feasible for the agricultural community.

“The agency’s lack of collaboration with co-regulators closest to producers is a major factor in making this framework impractical for both pesticide applicators and state enforcement agencies,” Chinn said.

Chinn expressed additional concerns about regulatory changes by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as the lack of action in implementing the Waters of the U.S. Regulations of 2023 following the Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA.

“More than a year has passed since the Supreme Court’s decision in the case Sackett v. EPA“State departments of agriculture, farmers, ranchers and landowners are still waiting for the agency to implement the decision into its WOTUS regulations and, most importantly, recognize the states’ critical role in regulating non-navigable waters,” Chinn said.

Despite these concerns, Chinn praised EPA’s efforts to incorporate cooperative federalism goals into various regulatory policies. This includes the agency’s establishment of the Federal Advisory Subcommittee on Animal Agriculture and Water Quality and the successful Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force.

Meanwhile, Rep. David Scott (D-GA-07), a ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, expressed disappointment during the hearing that the House farm bill has stalled since it was introduced in the committee in May.

“I must express my deep concern about Chairman Thompson’s willingness to abandon the farm bill. His steadfast refusal to engage in a bipartisan farm bill is irresponsible to the American people, especially our farmers who feed, fuel, clothe and house our nation,” Scott said. “There has been absolutely no progress on Chairman Thompson’s bipartisan bill since our deeply divisive rate hike almost two months ago. This delay is hurting the American people.”

Click BELOW to watch the full coverage of the House Agriculture Committee hearing on the implications of EPA actions for U.S. agriculture: