Tom Harkin: “today I am introducing legislation, along with Senator Lugar, that will clarify congressional intent regarding the…”

“today I am introducing legislation, along with Senator Lugar, that will clarify congressional intent regarding the regulation of animal fats and vegetable oils under provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which amended the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The interpretation of these provisions is of critical importance to agriculture and to the entire food processing, transportation, and distribution system. This legislation is necessary to ensure against burdensome and unnecessary regulatory actions by Federal agencies based on interpreting the Oil Pollution Act to impose on nontoxic and relatively harmless animal fats and vegetable oils rules similar to the stringent requirements applicable to toxic and hazardous petroleum oils and products. Congress enacted the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 in direct response to several catastrophic petroleum oilspills in order to reduce the risk of oilspills, improve oilspill response capabilities, and minimize the impact of oilspills on the environment.”