Bill > HR1633

Introduced Session

Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing, finalizing, implementing, or enforcing any regulation revising the national primary ambient air quality standard or the national secondary ambient air quality standard applicable to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter greater than 2.5 micrometers under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for one year. Exempts nuisance dust from the CAA and excludes nuisance dust from references in such Act to particulate matter, except with respect to geographic areas where such dust is not regulated under state, tribal, or local law if the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, finds that: (1) nuisance dust (or any subcategory of nuisance dust) causes substantial adverse public health and welfare effects at ambient concentrations; and (2) the benefits of applying CAA standards and other requirements to such dust outweigh the costs. Defines "nuisance dust" as particulate matter that: (1) is generated primarily from natural sources, unpaved roads, agricultural activities, earth moving, or other activities typically conducted in rural areas; (2) consists primarily of soil, other natural or biological materials, windblown dust, or some combination thereof; (3) is not emitted directly into the ambient air from combustion, such as exhaust from combustion engines and emissions from stationary combustion processes; (4) is not comprised of residuals from the combustion of coal; and (5) does not include radioactive particulate matter produced from uranium mining or processing. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should implement an approach to excluding exceptional events, or events that are not reasonably controllable or preventable, from determinations of whether an area is in compliance with any national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) applicable to coarse particulate matter that maximizes transparency and predictability for states, tribes, and local governments and minimizes their regulatory and cost burdens. Requires the Administrator, before taking a covered action, to analyze its impact, disaggregated by state, on employment levels in the agriculture industry and on agricultural economic activity, utilizing the best available economic models. Defines a "covered action" as an action by the Administrator under the Clean Air Act, relating to agriculture and the primary and secondary NAAQS for particulate matter, to: (1) issue a regulation, policy statement, guidance, response to a petition, or other requirement; or (2) implement a new or substantially altered program. Requires the Administrator to: (1) post such analysis on the main page of EPA's website; (2) request the Secretary of Agriculture to post it on the main page of the Department of Agriculture's website; and (3) request the governor of any state experiencing more than a de minimis negative impact to post such analysis in the state's capitol. Requires the Administrator to: (1) hold a public hearing in each state in which a covered action will have more than a de minimis negative impact on agricultural employment levels or agricultural economic activity, at least 30 days prior to the effective date of the action; and (2) give notice of such impact to the state's congressional delegation, governor, and legislature at least 45 days before the effective date of the action. Defines "de minimis negative impact" as: (1) a loss of more than 100 jobs related to the agriculture industry, or (2) a decrease in agricultural economic activity of more than $1 million over any calendar year.

Committee Categories

Kristi Noem (R)*,  W. Todd Akin (R),  Steve Austria (R),  Michele Bachmann (R),  Spencer Bachus (R),  Joe Barton (R),  Rick Berg (R),  Rob Bishop (R),  Diane Black (R),  Dan Boren (D),  Leonard Boswell (D),  Kevin Brady (R),  Paul Broun (R),  Larry Bucshon (R),  Dan Burton (R),  Ken Calvert (R),  Francisco Canseco (R),  Shelley Moore Capito (R),  John Carter (R),  Bill Cassidy (R),  Jason Chaffetz (R),  Tom Cole (R),  K. Michael Conaway (R),  Rick Crawford (R),  Jeff Denham (R),  Scott DesJarlais (R),  Jeff Duncan (R),  Jo Emerson (R),  Blake Farenthold (R),  Stephen Fincher (R),  Jeff Flake (R),  Chuck Fleischmann (R),  Bill Flores (R),  J. Randy Forbes (R),  Jeff Fortenberry (R),  Trent Franks (R),  Cory Gardner (R),  Bob Gibbs (R),  Christopher Gibson (R),  Louie Gohmert (R),  Bob Goodlatte (R),  Paul Gosar (R),  Sam Graves (R),  Tim Griffin (R),  Brett Guthrie (R),  Ralph Hall (R),  Gregg Harper (R),  Vicky Hartzler (R),  Doc Hastings (R),  Jeb Hensarling (R),  Wally Herger (R),  Tim Huelskamp (R),  Bill Huizenga (R),  Randy Hultgren (R),  Robert Hurt (R),  Lynn Jenkins (R),  Bill Johnson (R),  Sam Johnson (R),  Timothy Johnson (R),  Walter Jones (R),  Steve King (R),  Jack Kingston (R),  Adam Kinzinger (R),  Larry Kissell (D),  John Kline (R),  Raúl Labrador (R),  Doug Lamborn (R),  James Lankford (R),  Tom Latham (R),  Bob Latta (R),  Billy Long (R),  Frank Lucas (R),  Blaine Luetkemeyer (R),  Cynthia Lummis (R),  Donald Manzullo (R),  Michael McCaul (R),  Tom McClintock (R),  Mike McIntyre (D),  David McKinley (R),  Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R),  Candice Miller (R),  Sue Myrick (R),  Randy Neugebauer (R),  Alan Nunnelee (R),  Pete Olson (R),  Ron Paul (R),  Erik Paulsen (R),  Stevan Pearce (R),  Mike Pence (R),  Joseph Pitts (R),  Ted Poe (R),  Mike Pompeo (R),  Denny Rehberg (R),  Reid Ribble (R),  E. Scott Rigell (R),  Mike Rogers (R),  Todd Rokita (R),  Thomas Rooney (R),  Mike Ross (D),  Robert Schilling (R),  Jean Schmidt (R),  Aaron Schock (R),  David Schweikert (R),  Austin Scott (R),  F. James Sensenbrenner (R),  John Shimkus (R),  Mike Simpson (R),  Adrian Smith (R),  Lamar Smith (R),  Steve Southerland (R),  Cliff Stearns (R),  Steve Stivers (R),  John Sullivan (R),  Lee Terry (R),  G.T. Thompson (R),  Mac Thornberry (R),  Scott Tipton (R),  Greg Walden (R),  Joe Walsh (R),  Rob Wittman (R),  Steve Womack (R),  Kevin Yoder (R), 

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 256. (on 12/13/2011)

Official Document