[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FARM DUST REGULATION PREVENTION ACT OF 2011

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1633) to 
     establish a temporary prohibition against revising any 
     national ambient air quality standard applicable to coarse 
     particulate matter, to limit Federal regulation of nuisance 
     dust in areas in which such dust is regulated under State, 
     tribal, or local law, and for other purposes:

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise to strongly oppose H.R. 1633, the 
Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act. Regrettably, the House Republican 
majority is choosing to waste precious floor time debating this 
political statement instead of allowing a vote on President Obama's 
American Jobs Act.
  Contrary to the claims of my Republican colleagues, H.R. 1633 has 
nothing to do with job creation or economic growth. This legislation 
addresses a nonexistent issue since the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) stated repeatedly it has no intention of regulating ``farm 
dust.''
  However, it cannot be said that H.R. 1633 would have no effect. This 
legislation creates new loopholes that allow open-pit mines, gravel 
mines, smelters and coal-processing facilities to escape public-health 
protections under the Clean Air Act. Enactment of this legislation 
would result in more pollution leading to more premature deaths, asthma 
attacks, respiratory disease and heart attacks. House Republicans say 
they are standing up for family farmers when in fact they are aiding 
corporate polluters.
  While the Minnesota family farmers I have heard from have serious 
challenges, they assure me that farm dust is far down on their list of 
priorities. Their real concerns relate to rising costs for seed, 
fertilizer, land, rent and machinery. They worry about protecting their 
land for the next generation in the face of federal cuts to 
conservation programs. They struggle with consolidation in the 
agricultural sector and the ability of the biggest farms to expand at 
the expense of smaller ones. Political debates in Washington about farm 
dust are not a factor in their lives.
  H.R. 1633 is just another veiled Republican assault on our nation's 
landmark clean air laws. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill and 
return our attention to the real problems that are impacting job growth 
in our economy.

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