EPA started the controversy when Lisa Jackson denied that EPA wanted to regulate farm dust. Now she can’t (or rather, won’t) end it.
From Politico:
Jackson plans to officially propose that the agency’s regulation of coarse particulate matter — or PM 10 — be retained with no revisions, she said in a letter Friday to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)…
An EPA spokeswoman added, “EPA hopes that this action finally puts an end to the myth that the agency is planning to tighten this regulation which has been in place since 1987.”
But Jackson’s statement wasn’t enough to convince all Republicans that farm dust is safe from the EPA’s grasp.
“EPA’s announcement does nothing to change the fact that they are still able to regulate farm dust,” said a statement from Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), who is still trying to enact legislation to keep the agency out of the ag-dust business. “If the EPA has no intention of regulating farm dust then they should support my legislation which excludes farm dust managed at the state or local level from federal regulatory standards.”
Noem’s bill has 112 co-sponsors — including Democrats Leonard Boswell of Iowa, Larry Kissell of North Carolina, Dan Boren of Oklahoma and Mike Ross of Arkansas. House GOP leaders have planned to bring the bill to the floor this year.
Noem is right. If EPA has the discretion to regulate it eventually will. Any backing off from regulation done now by the agency is nothing more than 2012 political tactics.