Regulatory Updates 2011

November 23, 2011
Work on Farm Bill to Continue Despite Super Committee Stalemate; Federal No Action Assurance for the Prepared Feeds Manufacturing NESHAP; AAI Supports Comment Period Extension & Agrees to Comments; EPA Pesticide General Permit Information; Seeking Volunteer for Rural Health Advisory Board; Upcoming AAI Meetings & Events.

November 10, 2011
Iowa Ag Secretary Criticizes Child Labor Regs; Iowa & Nebraska Pull Out of MoRAST; “I Love Farmers” Representatives Visit ISU; Congress Moves to Create New Farm Subsidy.

October 28, 2011
Farm Bill Outlook; Ag Groups Praise Legislation Clarifying Agricultural Hours of Service Exemption; Obama Signs Free Trade Agreements; Divided CFTC Approves Final Regulations on Speculative Position Limits.

October 14, 2011
Congress Passes Korea, Colombia, and Panama Free Trade Agreements; Agricultural Hours of Service Legislation; Grassley:  Regulators ‘Don’t Understand Farming;’ Manure and Liquid Nitrogen Spill Occur in North Central Iowa; Staff Changes at AAI.

September 30, 2011
OSHA Continues Regional Emphasis Programs on Grain Handling Industry; DHS Announces Ammonium Nitrate Security Program Listening Sessions; EPA to Consider a Voluntary Web-Distributed Labeling System; House Passes Amended TRAIN Act.

September 16, 2011
Initial Notification Date Approaching for Area Source Boilers; CLA Comments on EPA’s Draft Policy on Scientific Integrity; Officials:  EPA Rules Hurt Growth.

September 02, 2011
Rogue Trucker Alert; EPA Includes Grain Elevator Air Emissions Standards in Review of Existing Regulations; CropLife America President Urges Collaboration Among Agricultural Community and Support for Sound Policy; Separating Fact From Fiction at Fair Forum.

August 19, 2011
EPA’s Response to Petition to set Numeric Nutrient Criteria for the Mississippi River; CME Group Proceeds with Increase to CBOT Daily Price Limit; CFTC Issues Final Rule on Agricultural Swaps; As Waters Recede – Dealing with Flood-Damaged Grain; Requirement for 0.2 Water in Anhydrous Ammonia; Environmental Groups Sue EPA, Move to Take Water Quality Authority Away from Iowa DNR.

August 5, 2011
AAI Regulatory & Legislative Forum; OSHA Inspections in Illinois; GIPSA Proposes Changes to Grading of Grain Exported in Containers; Key Deadline for Refillable Pesticide Container and Repackaging Requirements Approaching; Secretary Napolitano Announces Proposed Ammonium Nitrate Security Program

July 22, 2011
Federal Extension of Restricted CDLs Granted; Marketability of MIR162; Environmental Protection Division Administrator Wayne Gieselman Resigning; House Passes H.R. 2018 Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011; TFI Sends Letter to White House Expressing Concern with EPA’s Final Rule Establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone; U.S. Sales of 3-Nitro®-Roxarsone Suspended; House Ag Committee Drafting Bill to Modify USDA Biotech Regulatory Approval System.

July 07, 2011
Trucking Dispute with Mexico Resolved; IDALS and IDOT Submit Comments on Definition of Implements of Husbandry; Fraudulent Letters Received by U.S. Chemical Companies; Supreme Court says EPA has Authority to Regulate Climate Change; OSHA Proposes More Stringent Reporting Obligations for Work-Related Accidents.

June 24, 2011
Grassley Wants Hearings on Corp’s Actions; Lucas to Reid:  Send H.R. 872 to Senate Floor for a Vote; EPA Targets Pesticide Spray Drift; Northey:  Flood Damaged Grain Considered Adulterated and Cannot be Used for Food or Feed.

June 10, 2011
DNR and IDALs Encourage Removing or Protecting Hazardous Materials from Flooding; Bill Puts new Caps on all Farm Payments; Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rules Pamphlet now Available; Obama Administration Establishes White House Rural Council to Strengthen Rural Communities; Lawsuit Filed to Require FDA to Ban Subtherapeutic Uses of Antibiotics in Livestock, Poultry Feed.

May 27, 2011
Northey Expresses Concern to the CFTC About Increasing the Daily Price Limits in Corn Futures Trading; Gov. Branstad Urges President Obama and Congress to Expand Trade and Grow Iowa’s Economy; Recycle your Unusable Mini-Bulk Tanks; OSHA Conducts Expert Forum on Combustible Dust.

May 13, 2011
OSHA Targets Grain-Handling Industry for Enhanced ‘Severe-Violator’ Enforcement; U.S. House of Representatives Conducts Oversight on ESA; Ag Organizations Urge Congress to Reform CRP During Consideration of 2012 Farm Bill.

April 29, 2011
EPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Guidance Clarifying the Scope of Clean Water Act Regulations; Lucas: Once Again Obama’s EPA Seeks to Expand Regulatory Reach Without Authority; Iowa Agriculture Department Faces More Budget Cuts; Northey Expresses Support for U.S. – Mexico Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program.

April 15, 2011
Senate Rejects Legislation to Curtail EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulation; Senator Roberts Introduces Bill to Eliminate Redundant EPA Permit Requirement for Applications of Pesticides; Iowa Legislature Approves Redistricting Plan.

April 1, 2011
House Passes Regulatory Burdens Act; ARA Sends Letter to EPA Regarding Web Distributed Labeling Program; Proposed Amendments to Hazardous Materials Regulations; EPA Seeks Public Comment on Petition for Bilingual Pesticide Labels; Senators Seek to Accelerate Farm Equipment Depreciation.

March 18, 2011
Legislators Push for Farmers to be Better Represented in Environmental Decisions; AFBF: EPA Chesapeake Bay Regulations Threaten Agriculture; Reminder: Agricultural Chemicals Security Tax Credit; Refillable Container & Repackaging Requirements Become Effective August 16, 2011; Agriculture Scores CAFO Suit Victory Over EPA.

March 4, 2011
Governor Branstad Announces Appointees to Iowa’s Boards and Commissions; Group of Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Eliminate Duplicative Permit Requirement for Pesticide Applications; EPA Extends GHG Mandatory Reporting Rule Deadline; Bill Targets Effort to Disparage Agriculture’s Image; Red Flags Rule now Being Enforced.

February 18, 2011
State Grain Indemnity Fund Board Seeking Candidates; Reporting Reminders; Obama Administration Releases Fiscal 2012 Budget Proposal, Setting Up Battle with Congressional Republicans over Extent of Spending Cuts.

February 4, 2011
Special Permits Incorporated into DOT Regulations; OSHA Withdraws Proposal to ‘Clarify’ Occupational Noise Standard; USDA Announces Decision to Fully Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa; Carol Browner Resigns; Iowans Invited to help DNR in Setting Water Quality Goals for Streams, Rivers.

January 21, 2011
Senate Ag Chair Outlines her Goals; NGFA Commends FDA Draft Salmonella Policy on Animal Feed; Lucas, Chambliss, Roberts:  USDA Sending Mixed Signals on Genetically Engineered Alfalfa; Josh Svaty Selected as Senior Adviser to EPA Region 7 Administrator.