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Noem says dust rule bill provides certainty

Testimony on the bipartisan dust bill that would prevent the EPA from regulating farm dust as part of the Clean Air Act was heard by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Power Subcommittee this morning. Congresswoman Kristi Noem of South Dakota sponsors the bill. She says it would separate rural dust from urban dust, which scientific research shows causes health problems. “There hasn’t been that kind of scientific research and data that has shown the detrimental effects of this ‘nuisance’ dust which we’re addressing in this piece of legislation.”

Noem says the bill will give the Environmental Protection Agency certainty. “I think this piece of legislation – the EPA should have no problem with. I really do. I think they should be very supportive of this because it simply says that they’re not going to change their standards for a year, which they’ve already said that they’re not going to do.”

And she says it would provide that much needed definition – that rural dust and urban dust are not the same thing, “And, I think it would be very helpful to them and their processes and how they evaluate the ways that they approach enforcing the Clean Air Act to have that definition in place because they’re very different and the research behind them shows that.”

Although the EPA has said it will not regulate farm dust, Noem says, this bill would prevent the issue from going to court, as so often environmental regulations do, and would keep courts from deciding what happens on the farm. The legislation, she says, would provide much needed certainty to America’s farmers and ranchers.

“Mr. Chairman, this bill provides certainty. It provides certainty to a risky business that a lot of farmers and ranchers engage in and the people in rural areas are trying to keep their doors open and provide for their families. And,” Noem adds, “This shows them that we’re going to give them the certainty they need to be protected from those types of sudden regulations that may come up because of lawsuits and environmental issues.”

AUDIO: Portion of hearing on Dust Bill, House Energy & Commerce Committee (5:00 mp3)

Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633)

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