DUSTY ROADS AND REGULATORY INSANITY

"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."
News 9

"But an EPA spokesman said new rural regulations were never part of the plan.

"Contrary to blatantly false drum beat by agricultural alarmists, EPA does not have any plans to focus on regulating dust from farm fields or gravel roads," said Kris Lancaster, EPA, Region 7.

Lancaster said as part of the EPA's mission to protect public health the assessment focuses on significant sources of pollution most of which are in urban areas.
Senator Johanns asks if that were true why put agricultural regulations in their proposed assessment policy—which is the first step along the pathway to regulation? Between this and a recently withdrawn EPA proposal to monitor spilt milk, Johanns said it is too much.

"Why do they do these wacky things and then claim that we are the ones being alarmists? These folks drive me nuts. They are a federal department that just is out of control," Johanns said."
KHAS TV

I live in the country and the fact of the matter is that dust is all around us, casting a fine mist on the windshield of my truck, the leaves on the trees and the top of the coffee table in my living room. And why wouldn't it be? We've got gravel roads, equipment in the fields and animals everywhere. Not to mention the nearly constant onslaught of pollen from all the plants.

That's just part of living close to the land. Given a choice between dust and all the crap floating around the air and laying in the streets in a normal urban environment, I'll take dust any day. Besides, a certain amount of gray gravel dust floating in the air is part of the summertime feel; just like Mike Shannon broadcasting Cardinal baseball on the radio and pork steaks on the pit.

It almost seems as though these power mad regulators are trying to create artificial shortages, whether in food, fuel or any of the other vital areas of human life they feel compelled to screw with. With each passing day we find more and more of our lives managed by some official in a government far removed from that which they direct, not to mention inserting themselves in areas never intended for the federal government to be involved in. America is beginning to look more and more like a centrally planned and controlled country and less and less like the free market economy that created wealth and freedom for generations.