Schumer, Gillibrand advocate for New York dairy industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have joined forces to push forward legislation to require country of origin labeling on all dairy products.
Known as the Dairy COOL Act, the proposed legislation would extend the USDA’s existing COOL requirements on meats, produce and nuts to include dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter.
Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, initially introduced the Dairy COOL Act last year. She and Schumer reintroduced it Thursday. According to the two legislators, the measure will both help New York dairy farmers and protect consumers.
“New Yorkers are proud of the high-quality dairy products they produce and this bill will boost New York agriculture while empowering consumers to choose our own locally produced foods,” Schumer said.
According to Gillibrand, 15 percent of the nation’s food supply is now imported from countries around the globe, including China, which accounted for $5.2 billion in food imports last year. Because of this, she says it is more important than ever for consumers to know where there food is coming from.
“With increasing dairy imports and alarming news about tainted products from overseas, country of origin labeling will allow families to buy the best products and make informed choices for their families,” she said.
Schumer also celebrated a victory last week in his efforts to advocate for New York’s dairy industry. On Tuesday, he announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to exempt dairy farmers from provisions of the Clean Water Act which threatened to require milk producers to comply with the same costly spill prevention guidelines as oil companies.
“This is a huge victory for dairy farmers all throughout Upstate New York, one which has been a long time coming,” the senator said. “Everyone knows that when Congress enacted these laws it was targeting massive oil spills and toxic substances, not an accident involving milk at one of our state’s small dairy farms.”
Because of its butter fat content, milk classifies as a non-petroleum oil under the 1970s era legislation, and therefore could be held accountable under the EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) program. While the law was never applied to dairy producers, they were never formally exempted. A 2005 statement by the agency which reaffirmed their regulatory authority over milk producers caused consternation in the industry. While the Bush Administration proposed an exemption, it was held up while the Obama Administration conducted a comprehensive policy review.
In a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, dated July 21 of last year, Schumer urged the agency head to push forward a ruling which would exempt milk producers who are already meeting state and federal sanitary storage standards. He argued that these producers already have adequate spill prevention measures in place. Not only would an additional layer of regulation by unnecessary, he asserted, but it would also place an undue burden on an already struggling industry.
Last week, the senator’s request was granted.
“With this exemption, I can now ensure New York dairy farmers that they will no longer have to cry over spilled milk, let alone the costly preparation for it,” he said.
According to Schumer, it would have cost New York farmers thousands and the dairy industry as a whole over $140 million a year to comply with the additional regulations.
Known as the Dairy COOL Act, the proposed legislation would extend the USDA’s existing COOL requirements on meats, produce and nuts to include dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter.
Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, initially introduced the Dairy COOL Act last year. She and Schumer reintroduced it Thursday. According to the two legislators, the measure will both help New York dairy farmers and protect consumers.
“New Yorkers are proud of the high-quality dairy products they produce and this bill will boost New York agriculture while empowering consumers to choose our own locally produced foods,” Schumer said.
According to Gillibrand, 15 percent of the nation’s food supply is now imported from countries around the globe, including China, which accounted for $5.2 billion in food imports last year. Because of this, she says it is more important than ever for consumers to know where there food is coming from.
“With increasing dairy imports and alarming news about tainted products from overseas, country of origin labeling will allow families to buy the best products and make informed choices for their families,” she said.
Schumer also celebrated a victory last week in his efforts to advocate for New York’s dairy industry. On Tuesday, he announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to exempt dairy farmers from provisions of the Clean Water Act which threatened to require milk producers to comply with the same costly spill prevention guidelines as oil companies.
“This is a huge victory for dairy farmers all throughout Upstate New York, one which has been a long time coming,” the senator said. “Everyone knows that when Congress enacted these laws it was targeting massive oil spills and toxic substances, not an accident involving milk at one of our state’s small dairy farms.”
Because of its butter fat content, milk classifies as a non-petroleum oil under the 1970s era legislation, and therefore could be held accountable under the EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) program. While the law was never applied to dairy producers, they were never formally exempted. A 2005 statement by the agency which reaffirmed their regulatory authority over milk producers caused consternation in the industry. While the Bush Administration proposed an exemption, it was held up while the Obama Administration conducted a comprehensive policy review.
In a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, dated July 21 of last year, Schumer urged the agency head to push forward a ruling which would exempt milk producers who are already meeting state and federal sanitary storage standards. He argued that these producers already have adequate spill prevention measures in place. Not only would an additional layer of regulation by unnecessary, he asserted, but it would also place an undue burden on an already struggling industry.
Last week, the senator’s request was granted.
“With this exemption, I can now ensure New York dairy farmers that they will no longer have to cry over spilled milk, let alone the costly preparation for it,” he said.
According to Schumer, it would have cost New York farmers thousands and the dairy industry as a whole over $140 million a year to comply with the additional regulations.
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