[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 9, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S DRACONIAN EMERGENCY ORDER

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I find it somewhat ironic after the 
fumbling underreaction to mad cow disease that the United States 
Department of Agriculture is considering a Draconian emergency order 
for all Oregon nurseries in order to deal with an infection of sudden 
oak disease on one nursery.
  The State Department of Agriculture has already appropriately 
quarantined the nursery. But before we create a regulatory nightmare 
for hundreds of small businesses and a huge regulatory roadblock, I 
would hope that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will work with the 
experts and our industry to protect both the environment and the vital 
commerce in nursery products.
  There is no reason that we cannot do right by the environment and do 
it in a way that promotes proper treatment of this dangerous disease 
but avoids doing more harm than we do good.

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