Press Releases
Forum Panelists Overwhelmingly Say EPA's Policies Are Hurting Jobs, Economy in Rural America
Washington, DC,
September 30, 2010
MEDIA CONTACT: The Rural America Solutions Group, co-chaired by Rep. Frank Lucas, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, concluded a forum yesterday aimed at highlighting the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) massive effort to implement and propose unprecedented, overreaching, and burdensome regulations. Seven panelists from across the country offered perspective and real-life examples on how these regulations are hurting job creation and economic growth. Below is an excerpt of some of their remarks from the forum:
"The Obama administration's environmental policies...appear to be aimed at destroying the cattle industry in America as we know it. It is ironic that as we work to become less dependent on foreign oil, Obama's policies are likely to make us more dependent on foreign beef....EPA is waging an unprecedented war to end modern production of animal agriculture. EPA exhibits reckless indifference to scientific fact and, instead, imposes stringent regulations based on nothing more than its biased anti-animal agriculture agenda that will leave many cattle operations with no recourse but to shut down and eliminate jobs." ~Tamara Thies, National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
"Farmers and their way of life and livelihood have never felt more challenged or threatened than they do today by the continuous onslaught of regulations and requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency.... The cost they represent will impact the economy as a whole, and this committee should not be surprised when our economy contracts and jobs are lost to foreign competition." ~Wilmer Stoneman, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
"Why has an American agency decided to declare regulatory war on such a large swath of American people?...We're here today because we need your help...to stop this regulatory run-away train before it causes irreparable damage to America's heartland by raising our cost of production and making American farmers uncompetitive in the world marketplace." ~ Gerald Simonsen, National Sorghum Producers
"The EPA has put together a well-coordinated plan to eliminate coal mining in the Appalachian region....Why is the EPA working so hard to put Appalachian coal producers out of business? Why are they applying rules and regulations to only one industry in five states of Appalachia? Why are they willing to sacrifice 80,000 jobs in this economically depressed region? Why are they attempting to eliminate coal as an energy source at a time when America needs inexpensive and reliable domestic sources of energy more than ever?" ~Bob Gabbard, U.S. Coal Corporation
Click here to watch video footage of the forum in its entirety.
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