Jim Inhofe: “I come from the farm State of Oklahoma. The biggest threat to the future of farmers is burdensome and costly…”

“I come from the farm State of Oklahoma. The biggest threat to the future of farmers is burdensome and costly regulations. I have three amendments. The amendments I am proposing will provide significant regulatory relief for farmers struggling in a tough economy. There is virtually no history of oilspills from agricultural operations, and farms simply do not pose the risk of the spills other sectors do. Starting next year, farmers who have oil and gas tanks-- that is all of them. They all have oil and gas tanks on their farms. They are located in different areas, but if they have a certain aggregate amount, they will be required to hire a certified professional engineer to design a spill prevention control and countermeasure plan just like major oil refineries. They may also be required to purchase new capital equipment to comply with the rule, including dual containment tanks on farm trucks and fuel storage units that will necessarily raise the cost. My amendment would exempt farmers from these regulations for above- ground oil storage tanks that have an aggregate storage capacity of less than 12,000 gallons. I know a small wheat farmer in northwest Oklahoma by the name of Keith Kisling. He is one of the only farmers who took the time to actually comply with the SPCC regulation. Those are spill regulations. Most people didn't even try to comply. First, he had to fill out over 80 pages of paperwork he did not understand.…”