AlO-Uncasttr Fanning, Saturday, Juna 17, 2000
OPINION
EPA: Everywhere Rain Falls
EPA has proposed changes to the Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL) and NPDES permit program. In these proposed rule
changes, certain agricultural activities have been targeted. EPA is
attempting to reverse almost 30 years of Clean Water Act history by
reclassifying these agricultural activities from a nonpoint classifica
tion of discharge to a point source classification of discharge. Histor
ically point sources were limited to industrial sites, which usually
contain pipe sources of discharge. Point sources of discharge are re
quired to obtain a prescriptive NPDES permit from the government
before operations initiate.
The significance of this change is multifaceted. First, it sets a dan
gerous precedent. Congress made clear distinctions between non
point and point sources of discharge and delegated that they be han
dled quite differently for obvious reasons. If EPA can now at will
redesignate traditional nonpoint sources as point sources, they have
sidetracked congressional intent of managing the two quite different
entities separately and exposed all nonpoint activities as potential
future point sources.
Secondly, point sources of discharge are required to obtain an
NPDES permit prior to activity. This means that prior to practicing
these activities, landowners will be required to obtain an NPDES
permit. It is not clear in the rule whether such a permit will be re
quired for each activity or each entry, undoubtedly that will be set
tled in the courts.
What does obtaining an NPDES permit mean for a landowner?
Permits are expected to cost in the $lO,OOO range. They will be sub
ject to delays or refusal. They open the landowner up to public com
ment and public opposition. They expose the landowner to private
litigation under the Clean Water Act. Even if the permit is approv
ed, it can be challenged by environmental groups or other private
entities. They require landowner evaluation of other federal laws
such as the Endangered Species Act.
Obviously, the cost and liabilities incurred through the permit
process will be a disincentive to landowners to maintain their lands
in a forested or agricultural state. There are other provisions in the
rule which allow EPA to regulate nonpoint discharges, which literal
ly give EPA oversight everywhere that rain falls. This allows EPA to
dictate local land use issues through water quality laws.
We believe this rule is unnecessary, unreasonable, and unfair. The
rule is scheduled for release in late June. Call your legislator on this
one.
Hay Day, EORDC, Caldwell,
Ohio.
Hoof Trimmers Picnic, West
Pennsboro Township Park,
Carlisle, noon.
Penn State College Picnic, Rock-
spring.
Pennsylvania Farm Link-Spon
sored Meeting, Pheasant Hill
Farm, 9 a.m.-l 1 a.m.
Warren County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Warren County
Fairgrounds, Pittsfield, 8 p.m.
Sullivan County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Dushore Main St.,
Editor,
I used to get your publication,
then allowed my subscription to
expire, but have been seriously
thinking about renewing it, until
now.
Your “Opinion” article in the
June 3, 2000 issue is the blame.
For years, 1 have shook my head
in bewilderment at the hog and
poultry farms who adopted the
* Farm Calendar *
Dushore, 7 p.m.
Crawford County Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, Richmond’s
Dairy Farm, Linesville, 8
p.m.
Father’s Day.
Washington County Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, Washington
County Fairgrounds, Wash
ington.
Potter County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Northern Potter
High School, Ulysses, 2 p.m.
(Turn to Pago ASS)
♦ Farm Forum ♦
practice of “biosecurity.” The
reason I have always felt that
farmers were God-fearing peo
ple. People who have ultimate
trust in what God gives them
will not practice anything that is
contrary to His teachings.
In my opinion, biosecurity is
contrary to scriptural teachings.
The Bible is very clear in that
when it states in Matthew 6:34:
With most of the corn planted,
now is a good time to check your
fields for weeds.
According to Robert Ander
son, Lancaster County extension
agronomy agent, the best time to
scout for weeds and evaluate her
bicide performance is two to four
weeks after planting.
Escape weeds need to be iden
tified while they are small and
still controllable by a postapplied
herbicide or other method.
Usually the sooner a problem is
identified and dealt with, the
more successful the treatment
will be.
If weeds are scattered or the
infestation is light, a simple culti
vation or a spot treatment with
herbicide may be very effective.
If an herbicide application is
HALFWAY THROUGH?
Background Scripture:
Philippians 3.
Devotional Reading:
Hebrews 10:19-25,32-36.
Bennett Cerf tells a story about
Tommy Noonan, a young man
who picked up “a nice piece of
change” mowing lawns for neigh
bors during the summer vaca
tion. One afternoon his mother,
seeing that Tommy seemed to be
taking his good old time in get
ting started, chided him. But
Tommy replied, “Fm waiting for
them to start themselves. I get
most of my work from people
who are half through.”
Tommy Noonan was an satu
rate observer of human nature:
people will start a lot of things
they do not finish. Somewhere
between beginning and ending,
their enthusiasm and self-disci
pline wanes and then quits alto
gether.
BKia
This is particularly true in
spiritual growth. The churches
seem altogether dedicated to nur
turing children and youth in
growth as Christians. But when
these same individuals reach
adulthood, there seems to be no
additional growth called for.
Whereas youth are put through
catechism or confirmation class
es, adults all too often are not
challenged to grow beyond the
point they have already attained.
These people are only “halfway
through” and have no idea that
they are expected to continue to
grow in Christian discipleship.
Jesus, of course, presents a
considerably different picture:
To Scout Fields
For Weeds
Expected To Grow
needed, most postemergent ma
terials are most effective when
applied to small weeds at the
one- to three-leaf stage of devel
opment. Early identification and
early treatment are critical.
Remember, a good scouting
program can pay dividends.
To Use Presidedress
Nitrate Test
The presidedress nitrate test
(PSNT) for corn is a soil nitrogen
test designed to provide assist
ance in making agronomically
and environmentally sound ni
trogen recommendations for
com, according to Mark Good
son, capital region extension
agronomist.
This test is especially useful in
systems where manure has been
applied, because it eliminates
some of the uncertainty associat
ed with utilizing manure nitro
gen.
To use this test, 12-inch deep
soil samples must be taken when
the corn is at least 12 inches tall.
Samples must be dried immedi
ately and sent to the laboratory.
Samples are analyzed for ni
trate nitrogen. Based on this re
sult and information on expected
yields and field history, a side
dress nitrogen recommendation
is made.
Currently this test is available
for com only. To use this pro
gram, purchase a standard soil
test kit from your Penn State Co
operative Extension office and
request a PSNT information
sheet. The results for nitrate ni
trogen along with recommenda
tions will be telephoned or faxed
to you or a designated individual
within 24 hours of receipt by the
lab.
“You therefore must be perfect
as your heavenly Father is per
fect” (Mt. 5:48). Maybe that’s
where some of the problem is:
Jesus seems to be setting a stan
dard that is out of reach for us
and every one we know. Exclud
ing Jesus, how can any human
being attain to that state of per
fection?
The problem is that the Eng
lish word “perfect” is misleading.
It implies moral perfection, be
coming just like God. But the
Greek word means the whole
will and being to be turned whol
ly to God as he is turned to us.
So the “perfection” to which we
are called is not a destination to
be reached so much as the pro
cess of getting there.
Jesus is not calling us to be
sinless and without and weak
ness or limitation as God is, but
to constantly moving in that di
rection. This, then, is exactly
what Paul is saying to the Philip
pians and us: “Not that I have
already obtained this or am al
ready perfect: but I press on to
make it my own . . .’’(Phil.
12:3). Here, Paul’s word which is
rendered in English>as “perfect”
means literally “full grown.” In
other words, Paul is saying I
have not yet become what Christ
wants me to become. What he
wants of us is always beyond
where we are at any given mo
ment.
As Robert Browning put it so
well: “A man’s reach should ex
ceed his grasp, Or what’s a heav
en for?” (Andrea del Sarto). In
this Christian life, we must al
ways be extending our reach to
ward, but not attaining to, per
fection.
The Upward Call
Paul never reached perfection
and neither will we, but he never
stopped growing in the faith:
“Brethren, I do not consider that
I have made it my own; but one
thing I do, forgetting what lies
To Be Aware
Of Heat
The recent hot days reminds
us summer is coming.
Most farmers know the impor
tance and how to keep their ani
mals cool during hot weather.
But are you aware of the impact
of heat on you and your work
ers?
Every summer, hot weather
causes hundreds of deaths from
heat strokes.
Jeff Stoltzfus, Eastern Lancas
ter County School District Adult
Farmer Program instructor, of
fers the following commonsense
tips that can keep you and your
workers healthy and productive
in the summer heat.
• Drink plenty of liquids.
Water is the coolant for the body.
Take frequent breaks for water.
Your body gives off salt and elec
trolytes with sweat. Sport drinks
really do work at recharging the
body’s electrolytes and provide
extra energy.
• Try to stay cool. Splashing
cold water on the face and arms
helps to keep the body cool. Even
a few ice cubes under your hat
will help.
• Know the symptoms of heat
stroke. If your skin begins to feel
cold and clammy and you stop
sweating, it is time to get a show
er and find some shade. Take the
rest of the day off.
A little rained-on hay is a
small price to pay for your
health. If someone faints or pass
es out, or you do not feel better in
a few hours, it is time to get med
ical help. Remember, heat can
kill.
Feather Prof, ’s Footnote:
“What lies behind us and what
lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within
us.”
behind and straining forward to
what lies ahead, I press on to
ward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ
Jesus” (3:13,14).
Paul didn’t stop when he was
halfway through.
Why did Paul feel he had to
write these words to the church
at Philippi? It appears that
there those who complacently
believed that human perfection
was attainable in this life and,
saved by Christ, they were thus
“perfect” and nothing further
was required of them. They
were content to rest on their
laurels because they had forgot
ten that it is only by God’s
grace that we reach any place
on this journey.
Paul makes it clear that the
prize is not reaching the goal,
but the “upward call” itself. Re
sponding to the “upward call of
God in Christ Jesus” is what is
in Paul’s hands and ours.
Reaching the goal is in God’s
hands. So, he refused to bide his
time when he was halfway
through and pressed on.
And where are you at this
moment?
Note: In the Steps of Paul to
Rome & Greece, an 18-day tour
conducted by Larry and Valere
Althouse, is scheduled for April
2001. If interested, please con
tact us: 4412 Shenandoah Ave.,
Dallas TX 75205/e-mail: althou
ses@aol.com; fax: (214)
52109312.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stemman Enterprise
William J Burgess General Manager
Everett R. Newswanger Editor
Copyright 2000 by Lancaster Farming