Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

The Agricultural Retailers Association calls a proposed rule on transparency by the Environmental Protection Agency a positive step forward for agriculture. This week, the EPA announced the proposal to establish requirements and procedures for the issuance of guidance. ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock says the proposal “will not only provide the opportunity to be sure that our voices are heard but will also ensure that new rules are guided by sound science, practicality and economic feasibility.” Last Fall, President Trump issued an executive order to promote transparency by ensuring all active guidance documents are made available to the public. The EPA says the rule will significantly increase the transparency of EPA’s practices around guidance and the agency’s process for managing guidance documents. The rule will establish the first formal petition process for the public to request that EPA modify or withdraw a guidance document, and ensure that the agency’s guidance documents are developed with appropriate review and are accessible and transparent to the public.