Washington - The president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Jerry King, offered the organization's cooperation with the Clean Water Action Plan announced in Baltimore today by President Clinton and Vice President Gore.
"Pork producers want to be part of the solution, not considered a part of the problem," the Illinois pork producer said. He stressed that the Action Plan as it relates to the pork industry should follow the recommendations of the National Environmental Dialogue on Pork Production completed late last year. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with agriculture and environmental officials from several key hog producing states, worked with pork producers to come up with a suggested national framework for local, state and national regulatory agencies to use in setting science- based environmental guidelines for pork production units.
In a meeting with Vice President Gore last week, King said, "To succeed, regulations must be affordable and cost-effective. They must be science-based and flexible enough to recognize variations among farms and regions. Pork producers are ready to help solve non-point source pollution problems if they have adequate technical support and cost-sharing."
King told the vice president that farmers need protection from "nuisance" lawsuits in return for following good management practices. He said, "It is imperative that we separate social and farm-structure issues from environmental questions in pursuing meaningful solutions."
King said NPPC and pork producers were anxious to work with the Administration on environmental issues, but the industry's aggressive environmental programs, including the On-Farm Odor/Environmental Assistance Program, the Odor Solutions Initiative and ongoing environmental education programs need to be included as an integral part of the solution process.
The National Pork Producers Council is a national association representing pork producers in 44 affiliated state organizations. The industry annually generates approximately $11 billion in farm gate sales and $64 billion dollars in economic activity. The pork industry employs 600,000 Americans, from the farm through processing.
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