Moran Invites EPA Administrator to Kansas to Discuss Implications of Recent Restrictions on Dust

HAYS - Congressman Jerry Moran today asked the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Stephen Johnson, to join him in Kansas to see firsthand the implication of the EPA's recent ruling on coarse particulate matter, commonly known as dust.

"The EPA's final ruling on coarse particulate matter could have a devastating impact on agriculture in the United States," Moran said. "I would like Administrator Johnson to have a firsthand look at agriculture in Kansas and see how this will adversely affect our farmers and ranchers."

The EPA final regulation revises the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of the Clean Air Act and sets a national air quality standard for pollutants, including coarse particulate matter. Coarse particulate matter includes substances like dust that are produced from tilling of soil, planting and harvesting crops, cattle moving in feedlots, or mixing of livestock feeds, among other things. 

The EPA's original proposal in December 2005 included an exemption for sources of dust created from agricultural and mining practices. Despite an EPA statement that the health risks of exposure to particulate matter in rural areas are inconclusive, the agricultural and mining exemptions were removed from the final regulation last month.

"This lacks common sense," Moran said. "The EPA has not based its decision on any conclusive scientific evidence documenting the potential health effects of coarse particulate matter. Beyond that, even if all available management practices are implemented by those in the agriculture industry, it will still be nearly impossible to comply with these regulations."

In August, Moran led the effort of more than 30 other Members of Congress in asking Administrator Johnson to not go forward with its proposed rule to regulate coarse particulate matter. He is a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. 

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