EPA Touted As Ag Ally

By Chris Anderson

BLOOMINGTON – A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official told farmers Friday they should never become defensive about environmental practices, but they must show taxpayers they’re serious about the issue.

Jon Scholl of Cooksville, agricultural counselor to EPA Administrator Steve Johnson, spoke to more than 200 people attending the annual McLean County Chamber of Commerce agriculture awards program at the Interstate Center.

“Lawsuits often challenge agriculture’s environmental practices, saying that the industry hasn’t done enough. Then we sometimes find we have obligations we didn’t think we had,” said Scholl. “Farmers must work doubly hard to show a sometimes suspicious public that they take environmental initiatives and obligations seriously.”

The former Illinois Farm Bureau president’s counselor took the EPA position two years ago.

He assured farmers and agribusiness people that Johnson understands agriculture better than anyone in the agency. Johnson is a career EPA employee who previously served as a regulator for the pesticide registration program.

Scholl suggested farmers remain engaged with EPA officials and keep open lines of communication. He further urged farmers to focus on how to protect the environment rather than fear if they’ll trip over an EPA rule.

“One of the most common complaints we get is the sense of being overwhelmed with the sheer number of regulations. We cannot let that happen for businesses without the major capital of corporations who work full time on these problems,” said Scholl.

In turn, Scholl noted EPA officials are creating a water quality credit trading program that would provide positive rewards to farmers who block nutrients from entering public water supplies.

Agency officials also suspended pending odor emission standards a couple of years ago for livestock farms that signed air consent agreements. The suspension runs until a study of ways to accurately measure odor is completed.

“Agriculture must maintain a good level of communications with the agency to achieve positive options,” Scholl said. “You must focus on results. The taxpayers demand it.”