As the U.S. and global economies continue to struggle, some inside
and outside of Congress have expressed concern about how
environmental regulation may stifle growth and productivity. Much
of the criticism has focused on environmental regulations
promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some
claim that EPA is overreaching its regulatory authority and
imposing costly and burdensome requirements on society. The
agriculture community, among others, has been vocal in its
concerns, contending that EPA appears to be focusing some of its
recent regulatory efforts on agriculture. Environmental advocates,
on the other hand, support many of EPA's overall regulatory efforts
to protect public health and the environment. Where agriculture
contributes to environmental impairment, these groups say, it is
appropriate to consider ways to minimize or eliminate the adverse
impacts. A healthy agriculture industry and a healthy environment
are both important to the nation. However, agricultural production
can have varying impacts on the environment. The use of both
natural resources and synthetic inputs in agricultural production
can sometimes create a negative impact on human health and the
surrounding ecosystem. The magnitude of these environmental impacts
varies widely across the country and changes over time. Given the
agricultural sector's size and potential to affect its surrounding
environment, there is interest in tightening environmental policies
while also maintaining an economically viable industry. Most
recognize the agriculture community's efforts to protect natural
resources while striving to maintain a sustainable and abundant
food supply. The current federal response to environmental issues
associated with agriculture is viewed as being both restrictive and
supportive. Traditionally, farm and ranch operations have been
exempt or excluded from many environmental regulations. The
challenges and complexity of regulating numerous crop and livestock
operations can be cost-prohibitive for government regulators; thus
environmental policies have historically focused on large
industrial sources such as factories and power plants, not farms.
Much of the current farm policy addressing environmental concerns
is through economic incentives to encourage beneficial production
practices. Growing interest in the impact of EPA's regulatory
actions on many sectors of the economy is evident in Congress,
which has been examining the roles of EPA and other federal
agencies in regulating environmental protection. Among the broad
options for Congress, besides conducting general oversight, are
reviewing rules under the Congressional Review Act, amending
current law to modify an agency's authority, introducing
freestanding legislation, or using appropriations bills to prevent
funds from being used for specific actions. The majority of
environmental regulations that could affect agriculture are
administered by EPA, though not all. In some cases, agriculture is
the direct or primary focus of the regulatory actions. In other
cases, agriculture is one of many affected sectors. Of particular
interest to agriculture are regulatory actions affecting air,
water, energy, and chemicals. Issues associated with air (e.g.,
dust and emissions) and water quality (e.g., fertilizer and
nutrient run-off) are a primary focus of many regulations affecting
agriculture because of agriculture's potential to affect these
resources. Changes in energy policy, namely bioenergy, have
recently become important to many in the agricultural industry
based on the potential of corn-based biofuel production to
contribute to the nation's energy supply. The risks associated with
agricultural chemical use and possible impacts on human health and
the environment have also led to recent federal regulatory reviews
of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use.
General
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