June 26, 2000
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative:
The undersigned agricultural, agribusiness, forestry, conservation, and scientific organizations are writing to express our strong support for H.R. 4502, the AWater Pollution Program Improvement Act,@ introduced by Representatives Larry Combest (R-TX), Chairman, and Charlie Stenholm (D-TX), Ranking Minority Member, of the House Agriculture Committee. This legislation is critically important and we urge you to become a cosponsor.
This legislation would require the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a study on the scientific basis of the development and implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) under the Clean Water Act, and the availability of alternative programs or mechanisms to reduce water quality impairments from point and nonpoint source pollution sources. The study would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to benefit from a more comprehensive scientific review of its approach to water quality management, and allow for more input from appropriate federal, state and private sector stakeholders.
Last August, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulations that would revise and expand the TMDL program. We are extremely concerned that these proposed rules will disrupt and undermine existing state and federal nonpoint source programs, greatly diminish pollution reduction opportunities in the agricultural sector, heap huge costs on states and stakeholders, and delay achievement of clean water goals. We believe that EPA’s proposed rule should be delayed until the results of the National Academy of Sciences study are known.
Clean water will require more funding, a water quality management program based on sound science, good data, a strong federal, state and local partnership, and the ability to use flexible regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to solve the problems. We urge you to endorse this need by becoming a cosponsor of H.R. 4502 today.
Sincerely,
AgriBank, FCB
Agricultural Council of Arkansas
Agricultural Council of California
Agricultural Retailers Association
Agriliance
American Crop Protection Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Forest & Paper Association
American Nursery & Landscape Association
American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists
American Sheep Industry Association
Arizona Cotton Growers Association
Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association
Arkansas Pork Producers Council
California Cattlemen’s Association
California Cotton Growers Association
Carolina Cotton Growers Association
Cenex Harvest States Cooperatives
CF Industries
Colorado Association of Wheat Growers
Colorado Pork Producers Council
Delta Council
Eastern Panhandle Soil Conservation District
Equipment Manufacturers Institute
Farmland Industries, Inc.
Federation of Animal Science Societies
Florida Cattlemen’s Association
Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
Georgia Cotton Commission
Georgia Pork Producers Association
GROWMARK, Inc.
IMC Global
Indiana Grain and Feed Association
Indiana Plant Food and Agricultural Chemicals Association
Indiana Pork Producers Association
Indiana Seed Trade Association
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Kansas Association of Wheat Growers
Kansas Cooperative Council
Kansas Livestock Association
Kansas Pork Producers Council
Land O’Lakes
Louisiana Cattlemen’s Assocation
Louisiana Cotton Producers Association
Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts
Maryland Grain Producers Association
Maryland Pork Producers Council
Michigan Pork Producers Association
Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association
Missouri Pork Producers Association
Montana Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of State Conservation Agencies
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of State Foresters
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Chicken Council
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Conservation Buffer Council
National Cotton Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Livestock Producers Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Turkey Federation
National Watershed Coalition
New Mexico Wheat Growers Association
North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association
North Carolina Pork Council, Inc.
North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association
North Dakota Stockmen’s Association
Ohio Cattlemen’s Association
Oklahoma Cotton Growers
Oklahoma Pork Council
Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association
Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
PennAg Industries Association
Plains Cotton Growers
Society of American Florists
South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association
South Carolina Pork Board
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association
South Dakota Wheat, Inc.
South Texas Cotton & Grain Association, Inc.
Southern Cotton Growers, Inc.
Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association
St. Lawrence Cotton Growers Association
Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association
Texas Cattle Feeders Association
Texas Pork Producers Association
The Fertilizer Institute
USA Rice Federation
Washington Cattlemen’s Association
West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts
Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts
Wyoming Stock Growers Association