OKLAHOMA CITY -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering a crackdown on farm dust, so senators have signed a letter addressing their concerns on the possible regulations.

The letter dated July 23 to the EPA states, "If approved, would establish the most stringent and unparalleled regulation of dust in our nation's history." It further states, "We respect efforts for a clean and healthy environment, but not at the expense of common sense. These identified levels will be extremely burdensome for farmers and livestock producers to attain. Whether its livestock kicking up dust, soybeans being combined on a dry day in the fall, or driving a car down the gravel road, dust is a naturally occurring event."

Read the letter to EPA signed by 21 senators including Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn

Many in the Oklahoma farming industry are opposed to the EPA's consideration. One farmer said the possible regulations are ridiculous.

"It's plain common sense

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is drawing up an oil spill liability proposal that she says could be a compromise on an issue that has polarized lawmakers.

But Democratic leaders may be unlikely to swap out liability language already in Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) energy package slated for floor debate next week.

Asked about the chances for Landrieu's proposal making it into the energy and spill package, Reid spokesman Jim Manley said, "I think we have our own bill."

TULSA - The U.S. Senate Democrats' proposed energy bill would raise federal taxes on Oklahoma crude oil more than 500 percent.

If the Senate bill, introduced late Tuesday, is approved, it would hike federal taxes from 8 cents a barrel to 49 cents a barrel. The Oklahoma tax on crude oil production is 7 percent of value.

While programs funded by the bill would include a new natural-gas vehicles program at the Department of Energy, the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association bashed the provisions designed to cover the cost of the legislation. The legislation is expected to run $15 billion. The natural gas vehicle programs in the bill are modeled on the Pickens Plan popularized by Holdenville native, Oklahoma State University graduate and current Dallas energy investor T. Boone Pickens.

Oklahoma is one of the nation's largest natural gas-producing states, and any efforts to increase the use of the fuel in the U.S. will benefit the state's economy and the nation's drive toward energy independence, said Mike Terry, OIPA president. The OIPA is the state's largest oil industry trade group, with more than 2,000 individual members and companies.

Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, first, let me state that I have a great deal of respect for my friend from Ohio. I cannot agree, however, with the things this administration has done to pull us out of the recession. A lot of people believe the Federal Government can do that. I look at the institutions, and I say to the Chair, I have people who come into my office and it doesn't matter what industry they are in, they are all scared to death. It is a mentality that the Federal Government can take these things over and somehow make them better.

This administration is attacking every institution that made this country great right now. I don't care if you are in banking, insurance, health care, or the oil businesses--all of them are under attack. There is a myth out there that if the Federal Government takes it over, it will be run better than it would when run by the private sector. That is a prelude for the thoughts I want to share concerning what happened last night after 10 o'clock.

The majority leader, Senator Reid, came out with a type of energy bill, I suppose you could say. He has been talking about an energy bill for quite some time. What I have seen in the bill that is called an energy bill--I can't speak too specifically about it, because it didn't come out until late last night. But we know this: First, they start off by taking off any liability cap on drilling, whether it is in the gulf or elsewhere. That is my understanding.

The problem we have--and some of the people in this Chamber might remember that I had occasion to come to the floor and object to the Menendez request about four different times in the last month, because what he was attempting to do is what this bill is suggesting--take all liability caps off. If you do that, something happens that is bad. I hope that is not the intent of the authors of the bill that came out last night. But what you do by taking the cap off is you limit who is going to be able--once the moratorium is lifted--to drill offshore to the giants.