In early August, TransCanada dropped its application to the Department of Transportation for a waiver of standard limits on pressure in its proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. But there is a catch. TransCanada could re-apply for the waiver after the pipeline is built. And TransCanada already has permission to operate the Keystone I pipeline at higher than normal pressure. Send a message to TransCanada - keep the pressure down!

 

A tiny handful of giant meatpackers and processors has been underpaying and unfairly treating livestock producers for decades. These packers control the livestock markets and their market power harms independent producers and the prosperity of rural communities. Your help is needed to end market manipulation by the big meatpackers and bring fairness to livestock markets.

On June 10, the U.S. Senate will vote on Senator Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) "Dirty Air Act," which would reject the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. Tell your Senators that you oppose all moves to gut the Clean Air Act and reverse the finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. (Action completed)

Senator Leahy (D-VT) and Representative DeFazio (D-OR) are circulating a Congressional sign-on letter to their colleagues in Congress asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to maintain the ban on GM alfalfa. Contact your Senators and Representative today. Ask them to sign the “Dear Colleague Letter to USDA about Banning GM Alfalfa.”

TransCanada wants to build a pipeline to carry dirty tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska and on to the Texas Gulf Coast. TransCanada wants a permit from the State Department to cross the border, and it wants to use thinner pipe more prone to leaks and spills for most of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline’s 1,300 mile route. Send in comments by June 16.

Senator Jon Tester of Montana announced he will introduce a common sense amendments to S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act. Contact your Senators to ensure that the federal reforms do not hobble the resurgence of vibrant local food systems, farmers and processors.

Support the Farm to School Programs - contact your Senators and ask them to become a co-sponsor of S. 3123, the Growing Farm to School Programs Act! See fact sheet. (Action completed)

WORC members and allies are reaching out to Senators to fix the Federal Food Safety Bill by removing small, local food direct market facilities and farms from the reach of FDA regulations.

In its draft Environmental Impact Statement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture claims there is no evidence that consumers care about genetically modified alfalfa. Furthermore, USDA has completely dismissed the fact that GM contamination will threaten farmers' domestic and export markets and organic dairy and meat products. It is time to tell USDA that it is wrong. Comments due March 3.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a proposed to classify coal ash as “hazardous” and set federal standards for the first time. But the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has delayed release of EPA’s proposed rules that would protect human health and water resources. Contact OMB today.

Call members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and ask them to stand up for a healthy fresh local food alternatives to the highly concentrated and vertically integrated food system. S.510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, will be marked up Wednesday and members need to get the message! (Action completed)

The Clean Air Act is one of our nation’s most successful and necessary public health laws with a proven track record for reducing pollution from the dirtiest sources. Unfortunately, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) has announced that he is pushing for a major rollback of the Clean Air Act in the Senate climate change bill, S. 1733. Please take Action Today to protect the Clean Air Act.

The Director of the Office of Surface Mining makes a crucial difference in stopping destructive practices such as longwall mining, filling mines with Coal Combustion Waste (CCW), and mountaintop removal mining. Joseph Pizarchik is the wrong choice to serve as the OSM Director. Call or email your Senators today. (Action completed)

Call or email your U.S. Senators to urge them to fix flawed Federal Food Safety Legislation (S.510) so it does not stall the newly emerging small businesses built around fresh, wholesome local foods, direct market farmers and small local processors processing local foods for local markets.

The Senate is expected to consider the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill as soon as Wednesday evening, July 29. Senator Tester will introduce an amendment to cut funding for the National Animal Identification System in half. Call or email your Senators today and ask them to support the Tester Amendment to cut NAIS funding. (Action completed.)

Legislation has been introduced in Congress to protect public lands and correct the enduring and serious problems of the outdated 1872 Mining Law. Your help is needed to take the next step – securing more cosponsors in both the House of Representatives and Senate.

Hydraulic fracturing is used widely throughout the oil and gas industry. Although an effective technique for increasing oil and gas production, it has the potential to harm human health and the environment. Contact your members of Congress to protect drinking water from toxic chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

The House of Representatives is trying to address the worst problems in agriculture, but the legislation as it stands threatens the best things in agriculture – small farmers producing for local markets. (Action completed.)

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday, June 9, 2009 on an amendment from Colorado Senator Mark Udall that would help protect private landowners who face serious damage to their land when the federal oil and gas beneath their property is leased and drilled. (Action completed June 11, 2009)

The Clean Water Act has cleaned up polluted rivers and lakes. But recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings question whether the act applies to intermittent and ephemeral streams, the lifeblood of the West. Urge your Senators to cosponsor the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would clarify that the Clean Water Act applies to intermittent and ephemeral streams.

Over the next several weeks, both houses of Congress will decide the Nation's energy policy. Now is a critical time to tell your representatives that we need strong national standards for clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency to generate jobs, save ratepayers money, and reduce pollution. (Action completed)

Send your comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture about changes to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help family farmers and ranchers move to more sustainable production. (Action completed)

Congress has adjourned for a two-week break, through April 20. When your Senators return to DC, they'll debate and vote on an energy bill. If your Senators are coming to your area, go ask them to support:

• Stronger protections for private landowners who own the surface above federal oil and gas.
• A federal renewable electricity standard that ensures we will generate at least 20% of our electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2020.
• No more taxpayer funds for liquid coal.

Or send them an email message. (Action completed April 20, 2009)

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to begin voting on a new energy bill soon. We're urging the Senate to include new protections for split estate landowners in this bill.

If you're a split estate landowner affected by oil and gas development, click here.
If you aren't a split estate landowner, but want to support better protections of surface landowners, click here. (Action completed)

A Canadian company wants to build a pipeline to carry dirty tar sands oil through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska and on to the Texas Gulf Coast. Farmers, ranchers, and the rural communities along the route will get all of the impacts and none of the oil.

And yet the company, TransCanada, wants to use thinner pipe more prone to leaks and spills for most of its 1,300 mile route.

TransCanada needs a permit from the U.S. State Department to build this pipeline. The State Department is taking comments on the issues it should consider in an environmental impact statement.

Please send a message to the State Department by April 15, 2009. Tell them the pipeline isn't in the public's best interest if the health, safety and livelihoods of the farmers, ranchers and rural communities along the route aren't fully protected. (Action completed)

Urge your Representative to cosponsor the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009, H.R. 699.

President Obama is visiting Canada today. In his campaign,he committed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This trip could set the stage. (Action completed)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking another step to force ranchers, farmers and all other livestock owners to be part of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). (Action completed)