Newsline for April 28, 1999

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(ELLISON) - THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION PROVIDES FARM AND FOOD RELATED NEWS WRAPS FOR RADIO STATIONS AND NETWORKS.

I'M BOB ELLISON. OUR REPORT RUNS 1:10.

HERE IS A SUGGESTED LEAD: NEW CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION WOULD MAKE PESTICIDE REGULATION MORE EFFICIENT AND REALITY-BASED FOR FARMERS AND CONSUMERS. BOB ELLISON REPORTS.

ACTUALITIES COME FROM REPS. RICHARD POMBO, GARY CONDIT, BOB ETHERIDGE AND AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION PRESIDENT DEAN KLECKNER.

THERE ARE FOUR EXTRA ACTUALITIES FOLLOWING THE STORY. IN THE FIRST EXTRA ACTUALITY, KLECKNER SAYS THE BILL WILL HELP CARRY OUT AN ORDER FROM VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE SAYING PESTICIDE REGULATION SHOULD BE BASED ON SOUND SCIENCE AND RELIABLE DATA. IN THE SECOND EXTRA ACTUALITY, KLECKNER SAYS F-Q-P-A IS A GOOD LAW THAT COULD BE IMPROPERLY INTERPRETED. IN THE THIRD EXTRA ACTUALITY, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE GARY CONDIT SAYS EVENTHOUGH THE BILL IS BASED ON SOUND SCIENCE HE KNOWS THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION. IN THE FOURTH EXTRA ACTUALITY, POMBO SAYS HE AND MANY OTHERS WRONGLY ASSUMED F-Q-P-A WOULD BE ENFORCED, BASED ON SOUND SCIENCE.

STAND BY, THE STORY COMES FIRST IN 3...2...1...

(ELLISON) - A NEW BILL IN CONGRESS WOULD MAKE SURE THE GOVERNMENT USES SOUND SCIENCE TO REGULATE PESTICIDES. AMERICAN FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT DEAN KLECKNER SAYS THE REGULATORY FAIRNESS AND OPENNESS ACT WILL HELP THE E-P-A ENFORCE THE FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT THE WAY CONGRESS MEANT IT TO BE IMPLEMENTED.

(KLECKNER) - NO MORE GUESSES. NO MORE HUNCHES. NO MORE ESTIMATIONS. USE FACTS AND SCIENCE. AND THIS BILL WILL E-P-A DO IT RIGHT.

(ELLISON) - CALFORNIA REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD POMBO SAYS FARMERS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO LOSE IMPORTANT CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS.

(POMBO) - WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS HAVE ENOUGH TOOLS FOR THE FAMILY FARMER TO USE TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT HIS CROP AND TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE AN ABUNDANT FOOD SUPPLY FOR THE AMERICAN CONSUMER.

(ELLISON) - NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE BOB ETHERIDGE SAYS A SAFE AND ABUNDANT FOOD SUPPLY BENEFITS MORE THAN AGRICULTURE.

(ETHERIDGE) - AND IF WE DON'T USE COMMON SENSE IN THESE ISSUES OUR FARMERS AND OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE GOING TO SUFFER AND AS HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED TODAY, WHEN OUR FARMERS SUFFER PRETTY SOON OTHERS START SUFFERING WITH THEM.

(ELLISON) - MEANWHILE, VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE IS ALSO IN FAVOR OF E-P-A USING SOUND SCIENCE AND RELIABLE DATA IN REGULATING PESTICIDES.

BOB ELLISON, WASHINGTON.

STAND BY FOR THE FIRST EXTRA ACTUALITY. THE CUT RUNS 14 SECONDS IN 3...2...1...

(KLECKNER) - HE SAID THE RULES SHOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE TRANSITION PERIODS IN CASE OF ANY CHANGES. AND HE SAID E-P-A SHOULD WORK TO ENSURE THAT NEW, SAFE PESTICIDES ARE QUICKLY APPROVED.

(ELLISON) - STAND BY FOR THE SECOND EXTRA ACTUALITY. THE CUT RUNS 27 SECONDS IN 3...2...1...

(KLECKNER) - BUT ITS UNREALISTIC IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINES HAVE FORCED FARM BUREAU AND MORE THAN SIXTY OTHER AGRICULTURAL, CHEMICAL AND FOOD-RELATED GROUPS TO A DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND. THE PUBLIC WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE E-P-A GET IT RIGHT--GET F-Q-P-A IMPLEMENTATION RIGHT--THAN RUSH TO MEET THE DEADLINES WITHOUT THE ADEQUATE DATA. WITHOUT THE DATA NEEDED TO BACK UP THESE IMPORTANT DECISIONS.

(ELLISON) - STAND BY FOR THE THIRD EXTRA ACTUALITY. THE CUT RUNS 18 SECONDS IN 3...2...1...

(CONDIT) - WE THINK WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING THAT IS BASED ON SCIENCE AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS BILL AND SOME OF THEM COME FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, BUT FRANKLY WE'RE A BIT SURPRISED HOW YOU COULD OPPOSE SOMETHING THAT THE WHOLE EMPHASIS IS BASED ON WHAT IS SCIENCE.

(ELLISON) - STAND BY FOR THE FOURTH EXTRA ACTUALITY. THE CUT RUNS 10 SECONDS IN 3...2...1...

(POMBO) - WHEN WE BEGAN TO SEE THESE GROSS ASSUMPTIONS OF WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE, I BELIEVE IT SCARED ALL OF US BECAUSE IT'S NOT BASED ON SCIENCE.

(ELLISON) - THE FARM BUREAU RADIO NEWSLINE IS UPDATED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AT 5 P.M. EASTERN-TIME. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

This page was last modified Thu Apr 29, 1999 at 01:00 am