Congressmen question EPA's "sue and settle" strategy
Farm and Ranch March 25, 2011 Ranking U.S. House Agriculture Committee member Collin Peterson calls it the “sue and settle” strategy. When responding to questions about the reason for some of the EPA’s farm related regulations, Peterson says the agency’s response is it is only doing what the courts tell them to do. But Peterson expressed skepticism about that process when EPA administrator Lisa Jackson appeared before the committee recently. He said that fact is that environmental activist groups often sue the EPA but the cases don’t reach the point of a judge’s decision. Instead there seems to be a pattern of an activist lawsuit, followed by an EPA settlement, resulting in new EPA regulations to comply with the settlement. Peterson: “We have watched organizations use the courts to twist laws against American farmers and agricultural production. More and more we are seeing important policy decisions that impact agriculture arise not our of the legislative process but out of the litigation process where court decisions or secret lawsuit settlement negotiations result in poor policy decisions.” Committee member Dennis Cardoza, Democrat of California, went to far as to ask administrator Jackson if EPA every asked an environmental or other group to sue the agency. Cardoza/Jackson: “Have you ever sought out a suit? No, if you are asking if I personally sought out a suit. Or anyone in your agency? Not that I am aware of sir. That would be highly inappropriate. I agree with you about that.” Jackson says EPA settles for what it can live with but Cardoza said farmers often can’t live with it. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ? ? ?
