Kristi Noem

I have plenty of time for this because this is a very important issue for us, so I thank you for yielding to me and allowing me the opportunity to ask a few questions and to make an opening statement.

Earlier today I was on this House floor commemorating the 70th anniversary of Ellsworth Air Force Base, which is in my great State of South Dakota. Our bomber fleet, the average age is 40 years old. Old dogs can learn new tricks, and our…

I am pleased he is here today. I would ask that his full written testimony and statement be included in the record, as well.

This was not like most natural disasters. This flood lasted for over 90 days.

Congresswoman Kristy Noem of South Dakota has introduced H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act.

I am concerned that the Forest Service is opening the door for these types of species to be identified as species of conservation concern, which would make forest planning more difficult.

I am very concerned about this because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit concluded that the U.S. Forest Service does not have the discretion to ignore--does not have the discretion to ignore--multiple use mandates that…

I want to know why doesn't the Forest Service use the revision of the planning regulation as an opportunity to eliminate all the opportunities for appeals and litigation that are cumbersome and is weighing down the whole process?

I am very concerned about the viability requirement because that was the basis for Chief Dombeck's remand of the Black Hills National Forest plan revision in 1999.

I think it is absolutely critical that you put hunting and fishing in the forefront of any rule that is put forward.

If this Administration doesn't utilize the authority that Congress has given them, we may take congressional action in this area.

What is stopping us and causing us to lose this battle is the NEPA process.

He has granted zero. So this is a process that was given to him that he could utilize in extreme situations for alternative arrangements.

We have been bogged down with the NEPA process, and it has tied our hands to how we can address this epidemic.

I am from South Dakota, so it is a landlocked State, so I don't hear a lot from my constituents about the National Ocean Policy.

I feel so strongly because I think the fact that if there is a piece of legislation out there that guarantees that EPA will not take any action for the next year, that that is a benefit to our small farmers and producers across this…

This bill provides certainty and it provides certainty to a risky business that a lot of farmers and ranchers engage in.

I think this piece of legislation the EPA should have no problem with.

There hasn't been that kind of scientific research and data that has shown the detrimental effects of this nuisance dust

Well, Representative Shimkus, if I could say one thing that Representative Waxman continued to say over and over is that dust is not currently regulated, and it is.

I just wanted to make a statement that certainly the people in South Dakota recognize, widespread they recognize the need for this piece of legislation...

Well, Representative Waxman, that editor of that newspaper certainly doesn't represent my farmers and ranchers across South Dakota.

What my statement was or should have been was that the scientific research is very different showing the detrimental effects of urban dust versus rural dust.

Well, there are 100 cosponsors that are signed on to the bill.

I certainly believe that the title of the bill and the language of the bill is very clear that it means to address farm dust and nuisance dust throughout the piece of legislation.