Press Releases
Lucas & Republican Ag Members Ask for a Hearing on EPA's Endangerment FindingSay we have to keep the EPA's policies in check to protect American agriculture
Washington, DC,
April 28, 2010
MEDIA CONTACT: Today, Ranking Member Frank Lucas, along with 16 of his Republican colleagues on the Agriculture Committee, sent a letter to Chairman Collin Peterson, requesting a hearing to review the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) effort to regulate greenhouse gases and the impact it would have on agriculture. In March, Ranking Member Lucas joined more than 100 of his colleagues and sponsored a resolution of disapproval (H.J. Res 77) to block the EPA from using the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. Chairman Peterson is an original cosponsor of a similar bipartisan resolution (H.J. Res 76). These efforts are supported by nearly 200 agriculture groups. Click here to view the letter to Chairman Peterson. The text is included below: April 28, 2010 The Honorable Collin Peterson Dear Chairman Peterson, We are writing to request a hearing to review the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the impact on production agriculture and rural America. As you know, this administration’s EPA has chosen to finalize an endangerment finding declaring that GHGs may endanger public health and welfare. We congratulate you on your co-sponsorship of a resolution to disapprove this overzealous attempt at regulation and encourage you to prevent any further action on this finding. This effort is supported by a majority of the Agriculture committee and more than 150 agriculture organizations. EPA’s attempt to circumvent Congress to enact its own agenda concerning GHG policies would have a devastating effect on the agriculture community. It is our hope that the committee will be able to question EPA on its plans to regulate GHGs from mobile sources and how it would impact rural economies. Additionally, we should investigate the effects that monitoring GHG emissions would have on production agriculture and hear directly from EPA on any further plans to “tailor” regulation or regulate GHGs from stationary sources. Congress has been involved in a spirited debate over the need for legislation to regulate GHG emissions. The House narrowly passed a bill last June. The Senate may consider its own climate bill soon. However, neither Congress nor its constituents should be pressured by EPA into regulating GHGs. We appreciate your leadership on this issue and we thank you in advance for considering our request for a hearing. We hope we can continue our responsibility to rural America by overseeing the current policies being pursued by EPA. Sincerely, Frank D. Lucas
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