Lucas, Inhofe say EPA regulations threaten jobs, rural America

Oklahomans on both sides of the U.S. Capitol attacked the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, saying proposed regulations would kill jobs. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, the top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, led a discussion on how EPA proposals would hurt agriculture and rural areas. And Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said proposed EPA regulations threaten a number of U.S. industries. At a forum sponsored by the House Rural America Solutions Group, Lucas, one of the leaders of the group, said the EPA's "in-your-face approach to more government regulation has increased the cost of doing business for America's farmers and ranchers.” "If EPA is allowed to continue down this path,” he said, "the only choice for many farmers and ranchers will be to stop farming altogether.” The group heard from representatives of farmer, rancher, water and energy organizations who expressed concerns about regulations on pesticides, herbicides, dust, ozone levels, hydraulic fracturing and other matters. Tamara Thies, chief environmental counsel for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said the EPA was moving toward the toughest regulation on dust in U.S. history. "Incredibly, we are talking about dust kicked up by tilling fields and harvesting crops, cattle movements and pickups driving down dirt roads. For agriculture, the current standard is already very difficult and costly to meet; doubling it would be virtually impossible.”...more