Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act--or the FUELS Act--is an important piece of legislation that brings much-needed relief to the Nation's agricultural community. H.R. 311 is a bipartisan bill that currently has 73 cosponsors from Members on both sides of the aisle. It passed the House unanimously last Congress and again last year as an amendment to the farm bill. Additionally, this legislation has gained the support of more than 30 producer organizations, including every major farm group. The EPA-mandated SPCC--or Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure--rules requires that oil storage facilities with a capacity of over 1,320 gallons make costly infrastructure modifications to reduce the possibility of oil spills. These mandated infrastructure improvements, along with the necessary inspection and certification by a specially licensed professional engineer, would cost farmers tens of thousands of dollars. The SPCC program dates back to 1973, shortly after the Clean Water Act was signed into law. In the last decade, it has come down harshly on agriculture, and the rules have been amended, delayed, and extended dozens of times, creating enormous confusion in the farming community. On top of that, the EPA has failed to engage in effective outreach to producers and cooperatives on SPCC's compliance. The FUELS Act is simple.…”