[AT] EPA to require farmers be half as dusty

[john hall]

This has been in the works for a while. What is interesting to note is how 
clean the new diesels are going to be in about 3-4 years. Deere was running 
a big add in Successful farming . There was also an article about the new, 
cleaner diesels. Cat says new engines will have (I think) a 12% price 
increase. Supposedly the new engines will be more fuel efficient as well.

The drawback to making  the farmer produce less dust is the mere fact that 
farms probably use more older equipment than any other industry. I can't see 
retrofitting a bunch of old equipment. Now if the regulation were passed on 
to new machinery, such as emissions standards with cars, some progress might 
be made. But how the heck you could even remove 5% of the dust a combine in 
soybeans makes is beyond me. As for chemical drift, that burden will fall in 
the lap of the chemical companies. After all, the farmer has to comply with 
EPA regulations for each pesticide.

Maybe once the rules are proposed some wise bean-counter will add up how 
much food will go up in price and then let the public decide if these laws 
are really needed.

John Hall
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Wilson" <ro.wilson at att.net>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:29 PM
Subject: [AT] EPA to require farmers be half as dusty


> Check this out from the communist administration.
>
> http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100920/NEWS02/309200078/1003/BUSINE
> SS/Farmers+fear+dust+rules+won+t+reflect+rural+life
>
> sample quote
>
> The EPA's scientific advisers told the agency this summer that the agency
> could better protect public health by replacing the existing standard of 
> 150
> micrograms of coarse particles per cubic meter with a standard between 65
> and 85 micrograms per cubic meter.
> The agency is expected to release a final document next month spelling out
> its options for revising the standards. The EPA plans to announce any
> proposed changes in February, and will likely approve a final updated rule
> by October 2011.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at