Political Quotes

“as my colleagues know, I think what we do not want to do is get our small businesses in a ``gotcha'' situation where they fail to file one of the reams of technical filings and paperwork that we so often require in laws and amendments. And if my friend would bear with me, Steve Lampges is the owner of Maysville Grain and Fertilizer in Maysville, Oklahoma, employs 13 people. As part of his business, Steve sells chemicals used for fertilizer. Three years ago Steve decided to switch from selling chemicals in 2 rac{1}{2} gallon containers to a more environmentally friendly system of selling from bulk storage. His reward for switching to bulk storage of chemicals was a new set of environmental rules and regulations which he acknowledged and complied with. In fact, Steve built a container storage building that was praised by Oklahoma State officials as a model for other agri suppliers. In Steve's second year of providing fertilizer chemicals from bulk storage he failed to submit the pesticide production report required by the Federal EPA and was fined the maximum allowable penalty of $5,500. He submitted the 2-page form to EPA, but they continued to insist on the fine, and even when the government admitted it was in the public's interest to settle this action, the settlement offered by EPA was $3,300. Steve recently put up his hands, admitted he can no longer fight with an EPA that seems determined to put him out of business, and he paid the settlement.”