Thank you, Chris, for your time and efforts in representing family farmers and ranchers from across the country during today’s committee hearing. Our elected officials need to hear the truth about agriculture from farmers and ranchers themselves. I am glad that today they heard from you, a YOUNG farmer with a family and a desire to remain actively engaged in agriculture.

Sen. Boxer clearly drew the battle lines out yesterday in her closing remarks at the hearing. "This is going to be a battle; I wanted to have this hearing today to draw the lines of this battle," Boxer said. Boxer was confident in pointing out livestock operations that use modern technology on their farms should fall under Superfund, but that this classification wouldn't hurt family farmers or rodeos and parades. Millions of farmers use modern methods of agriculture today on their farms. Currently, there is a court case in Oklahoma that is trying to say manure on a farm is toxic waste and the farm should be held liable, heavily fined, and should clean the site up as if it were a toxic waste. Farm groups and senators are worried that the Oklahoma lawsuit and other Superfund cases could lead to massive penalties that could bankrupt small or mid-sized farms. They think regulation of manure as a hazardous waste could get in the way of standard uses of manure, and I agree. Senator Kit Bond from Missouri reminded Senator Boxer that this classification "could create a litigation gridlock -- and yes, it would apply to rodeos and parades."