WASHINGTON, DC - US Representative Ron Paul (R-Surfside, TX) on Wednesday blasted the United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency in the wake of their announcing plans to institute tough new regulations aimed at agricultural producers.

"This is outrageous," said Paul, in response to the new regulations which could force farmers to get federal permits in order to operate. These regulations, which could go into effect within four months, would also force farms to have detailed "waste management plans," approved by the federal government, by 2008 in order to stay in operation.

The details of the proposed regulations were discussed Wednesday afternoon during a forum on Capitol Hall for congressional offices.

Paul labeled as "ludicrous" the assertions of regulation-supporters that the plan is balanced.

"The fact is that Washington bureaucrats have absolutely no business telling Texas farmers how to operate. There is a legitimate concern about water pollution, but here in Texas the state owns the rights to surface water, thus the state is the only legitimate regulatory agency for these issues and the federal government should simply butt out."