"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday it will not tighten controls on dust particles on farms when it sends the rule to the White House for its regular five-year review."
"Some Republicans, including presidential hopeful Herman Cain, have said the EPA would expand the rule, which mainly affects heavy industry and vehicles, and regulate farms more broadly.
The agency sent a letter late last week to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and fellow farm-state Democrat Amy Klobuchar saying it will keep soot standards in place, but not tighten the rules to regulate larger particulates.
Critics have used the potential of farm-dust regulation as a headline issue in complaining of runaway regulation. Nebraska Sen Mike Johanns, a Republican, said he has 26 co-sponsors for a bill to bar regulation of dust from farm fields and dirt roads.
An EPA spokeswoman said the letter should end the "myth" of broader farm-dust regulation. Concern arose from proposals during the review process for stricter rules."
Timothy Gardner and Charles Abbott report for Reuters October 17, 2011.
SEE ALSO:
"Misleading Legislation Uses Nonexistent EPA 'Farm Dust' Regulations as Cover to Block Health Safeguards for Industrial Pollution" (Switchboard/NRDC)
"EPA Backs Off Air-Quality Rule, Settling Dustup Over 'Farm Dust'" (Kansas City Star)
"EPA Tries To Put To Rest 'Myth' of Farm Dust Rules" (AP)
"EPA Says It Won't Regulate Farm Dust" (Des Moines Register)
"EPA Says U.S. Rule on Farm Dust Won’t Be Tightened After Review" (Bloomberg)
"EPA Will Not Tighten Farm Dust Standards" (E2 Wire/The Hill)
"EPA’s Latest Disavowal on Farm Dust Still Fails To Sway All Critics" (Politico)
"EPA to Crack Down on Farm Dust" (News9 Oklahoma City)
"The EPA Doesn’t Regulate Farm Dust, It Regulates Air Pollution" (Grist)
Advertisement 
