NPDES Update
There is an urgent matter we need everyone’s help with. The letter below needs to have our Senator’s signature. If we could get Senator Sherrod Brown to sign on it would be a big boost.
We would encourage all of you to to contact Senator Brown at www.brown.sneate.gov or you can call his Washington office at 202-224-2315, Cincinnati office 513-684-1021, Cleveland office 216-522-7272, Columbus office 614-469-2083 or Lorain office 440-242-4100 and ask that he please sign the letter.
Thank you for your help, GCSAA is continuing to fight on your behalf on the NPDES issue but we also need our members help. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Senator's Crapo (ID-R), Hagan (NC-D), Rubio (FL-R) and Carper (DE-D) would like to send the following letter to Senate leaders as soon as possible. The letter is intended to be a bipartisan reminder and request that the HR 872 be dealt with by the Senate this year. Several Senate offices have been contacted directly already at the staff level regarding signing on the letter, however we in the coalition can help ensure that a core group of bipartisan Senators end up signing the letter. The goal is for this letter to be sent by Senator's who are active supporters of our effort and to have equal numbers of R's and D's (additional R signatures are ready to go).
The drafting Senators have asked for our help in ensuring the following Democratic offices sign on this letter by next week (post holiday week):
- Debbie Stabenow (MI-D)
- Ben Nelson (NE-D)
- Claire McCaskill (MO-D)
- Mark Pryor (AR-D)
- Kent Conrad (ND-D)
- Bill Nelson (FL-D)
- Mary Landrieu (LA-D)
- Chris Coons (DE-D)
If you or your affiliates have a presence in these states/with these offices, please encourage their outreach to these offices so that the letter gets sent as soon as possible.
BEGIN DRAFT SENATE DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER
[Date]
Dear Senators Reid and McConnell:
We request your leadership in helping to resolve the following issue at the earliest possible opportunity.
As you are aware, the Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized its Pesticide General Permit (PGP) under the Clean Water Act (CWA), pursuant to a ruling by the Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Cotton Council v. EPA. Under this new permitting system, certain pesticide applicators will be required to meet PGP or other permitting requirements in addition to regulation under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
On March 31, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, which would address Cotton Council v. EPA. This legislation then passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry June 21 by voice vote. We are aware that efforts had been made to come to a bipartisan resolution before these new permitting requirements went into effect. However, we believe there is still an opportunity to resolve this matter in a way that will protect the environment while avoiding undue costs on rural communities and municipalities nationwide. Thus, it our sincere hope that you will allot floor time for Senate to have a full, open debate on this matter.
While we recognize that many important legislative items vie for limited floor time, this is a rare opportunity to demonstrate to the American public that Democrats and Republicans are capable of working together to address important issues.
Sincerely,
