As a general rule, I am not a big believer in conspiracy theories; but I may be changing my mind when it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environmental activists have long had a strong arm and a bias against agriculture even before the agency was established.Just think back to Rachel Carson and what she did to the chemical industry with her unscientific claims about DDT that have since been proven wrong.But this regulatory agency, which has been given free reign by the Obama White House, has declared war on more than just American farmers.
The latest salvo from the EPA aimed at farmers came this past week when it released its latest evaluation of atrazine. Not surprisingly EPA said atrazine is dangerous and, ignoring some of its own research, is marching toward a ban on one of the most popular and cost effective weed control technologies used by farmers today. Besides being unscientific, the move toward banning atrazine will lead to farmers having to use more chemicals to control weeds, many of which have more environmental impact than atrazine. The EPA also continues to drag its feet on the approval of dicamba products, which farmers really need now to control the spread of resistant weeds.
While the fight over atrazine is not new and will likely end up in court with farm organizations suing the EPA just like they have done over WOTUS and RFS, we should not feel alone. Agriculture is just one of dozens of U.S. industries that are under attack by the EPA. The coal, electric, air conditioning, and auto industries are just a few of the sectors the agency is attempting to change in significant ways.
The agency has proposed (and been supported by the President) a plan that would cripple the production of electricity from coal. Power companies would have to either greatly increase the cost of electric power or shut down coal-fired plants. Yet, at the same time, nuclear power plants are also being shut down because of government regulations and the lack of a coherent energy policy. So, I guess you had better start stocking up on candles.
