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FDA Injects Confusion Into Feed

FDA is interpreting recent changed to federal law in a way which will disrupt the normal process used by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the state feed regulators, to help establish new feed ingredients.  This process used by AAFCO and FDA has worked well for decades.  FDA is injecting confusion into the process which will result in agribusiness and feed companies not knowing how to go forward to bring new feed products to market.  Congress did not intend to change this process.  

MO-AG supports the efforts of our national affiliates, NGFA and AFIA, to try to put an end to the confusion.  We invite you to review a proposed letter to FDA from Congress (CLICK here ).  The letter instructs FDA to preserve the existing FDA/AAFCO ingredient definition process.  If you would like to support this effort and encourage your member of Congress to sign onto the letter, (CLICK Here ) for more background on this issue along with information for contacting your member of Congress. Note that the deadline is July 26.

'ResponsibleAg' To Assure Regulatory Compliance; Issues RFP

ResponsibleAg (RA) is a joint venture of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and The Fertilizer Institute (TFI). It is being founded for the purpose of stewarding regulatory compliance throughout the chain of custody for fertilizer products, with the end result of increased safety and security for employees and communities, as well as continued availability of these vital products to American agriculture. 

The proposal addresses the online platform that would be used to register companies, receive and post audit scores uploaded by inspectors, and allow suppliers to access those scores. The product (custom programming), website and the data they will contain will be the exclusive property of ResponsibleAg.

A request for proposal (RFP) is now available for review. The Notice of Intent to provide a proposal is due by July 26, 2013, 5:00 p.m. EDT and the proposal submission deadline is Aug. 15, 2013, 5:00 p.m. EDT. If you would like a copy of the RFP, please contact ARA's Michelle Hummel at michelle@aradc.org or TFI's Monica Conway at mconway@tfi.org. Source:  The Fertilizer Institute (TFI)

McCarthy Confirmed EPA Administrator

Gina McCarthy, who was confirmed as Environmental Protection Agency administrator July 18 on a 59-40 Senate vote, takes over leadership of the agency at a time when President Obama has ordered action on climate change and the agency has taken up a range of other initiatives while contending with budget constraints.  For all of the political maneuvering that accompanied her confirmation vote, McCarthy is being praised by both environmental advocates and industry representatives as a pragmatic regulator who seeks consensus and who considers all aspects of a rule.

Draft guidelines for identifying protected waters have been pending at the White House since February 2012 after an extensive process for public comment.  Another water issue for the new administrator is the question of nutrient pollution, said Alexandra Dunn, general counsel and executive director of the Association of Clean Water Administrators. "Finding ways to work with states to encourage approaches that may not be numeric nutrient criteria is going to be important as is maintaining a flexible approach on regulating nutrients discharges," she said. Source:  BNA