Iowa Defense Alliance

An alliance of Iowans determined to defend traditional Iowa values.

EPA to Regulate Farm Dust

One of the staples of springtime in Iowa is the clouds of dust rising from behind tractors as farmers’ plant fields across the state. It is one of those signs that inform the multitude of rural residents that spring has indeed sprung. But apparently the US Environmental Protection Agency feels that this yearly occurrence is a threat to public health. As such the EPA is saying that in the interest of public safety they intend to regulate this dust.

The regulations in question are designed to limit airborne particles of a larger size than has been previously regulated. Among the particles that these rules would target is the dust that is produced during farm operations. What the regulations do not do is taking into account the fact that most often farmers do not have control over the creation of this dust. For instance, when you are traveling down the highway and see a farmer planting his field in dry years you see a cloud of dust shadowing the machinery. This dust is created when the machinery stirs up the dirt during the planting process. Or perhaps it is sometime in fall, you see a combine harvesting the beans or corn. As the combine harvests the crop dust is created from the dry plant material in combination with the dirt being stirred up by the combine’s wheels. Another situation when dust is created is not necessarily related to farm work. When a vehicle travels over a dry gravel road dust is created. There really is not much that can be done to quell the production of this dust, but the EPA is insistent on regulating it nonetheless.

It should be quite obvious that these regulations will hamper the nation’s farm economy. It will place an unnecessary burden on farm operations large and small by requiring them to lessen the creation of this dust. Charles Grassley is using his clout as our US Senator in an attempt to lessen the negative impact these rules will assuredly have on farmers. In a letter to the EPA Senator Grassley points out that control of farm related dust production will be impossible. Thank you Senator Grassley, now will some of our other federal legislators step up to the plate in defense of farmers across the country.


February 27, 2009 - Posted by Al Bregar | Abregar, Politics | , , , ,

10 Comments »

  1. Good Lord, people want to live in a sanitized bubble.
    We are all supposed to live a life of no risk.
    How boring and unhealthy.

    Comment by neighhay | February 27, 2009 | Reply

  2. Dust regulation? You have got to be kidding me.

    Comment by conservative dad | February 27, 2009 | Reply

  3. got links?

    Comment by Jerry | February 27, 2009 | Reply

  4. Wow this is cool i live on a rock road wonder how many trillions will get spent keeping them damp so dust isnt created. Is there anything we could possible complain about that could be changed. good lord its sunny better create some clouds might get a sun burn, its windy stop that how about a biodome over my house so it wont rain on me either or snow. Why do i get the feeling the stupidity is about to begin like we never seen. I know lets all live like the dark ages we wont stir up the dust to much on horse back let the farmers farm a 1000s of acres with team of horses.

    Comment by Woodrow Spaur | February 28, 2009 | Reply

  5. wait till they start spreading chloride on the gravel roads to keep the dust down..that’ll be great for theenviornment

    Comment by neighhay | February 28, 2009 | Reply

  7. I found this line in the link : “Under rules imposed in 2006. . . .”

    So this old news. I thought I recognized that Grassley quote!

    It sure is dusty in the country. The EPA is right about the health hazard. My own lungs are testimony to the problem. I don’t know what can be done about combine dust or gravel roads.

    One of my neigbors says the way to tell if the weather is fit for fieldwork is to see if the farmer is making dust.

    No till farming keeps down the dust but it doesn’t affect roads or combines.

    Comment by Jerry | March 1, 2009 | Reply

  8. Regulating dust is almost as difficult as regulating CO2.
    More taxes and regulations helps the economy right? Have to give regulators a job right?

    Comment by taco | March 2, 2009 | Reply

  9. Perhaps the legislatures have too much time on their hands. Here is a suggestion: Go to the law books and work on removing laws that no longer apply. Imagine the amount of paper that would be saved when printing the law books, etc. GO GREEN!

    Comment by Marta Hawtte | March 10, 2009 | Reply

  10. I live in iowa… This is the dumbest law i have ever heard of. This is a waste of our goverment money, and I think there are better things to worry about then DUST.

    Comment by Billy | March 23, 2009 | Reply


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