Jason Vander Kooy, Vice President of Save Family Farming, issued a statement regarding EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon’s criticism of the Washington State Department of Ecology’s unjustified ongoing attack on King Ranch in Eastern Washington, following US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ call for Ecology’s “war on agriculture” to stop.
“Farmers in Washington are grateful for Secretary Rollins’ efforts to protect farmers and ranchers from the Washington State Department of Ecology’s unjustified attacks, such as the onslaught they’ve unleashed against the King family.
“Secretary Rollins called Ecology’s actions exactly what they are: a war on agriculture. The farming community here appreciates the Secretary’s clear and emphatic statement that this war must stop.
“Also, Washington farmers appreciate Administrator Pokon’s words showing an apparent shift in her stance on what she calls Ecology’s ‘aggressive enforcement action’ against farms. Farmers are listening. But words alone do not erase a long and damaging record.
“Sadly, EPA’s Seattle office, which Administrator Pokon leads, has pushed three Washington family dairies out of business through similar actions that it has continued for over a decade.
“Only one dairy of the 4 Lower Yakima Valley farms that EPA Region 10 initially targeted remains in business, and the EPA’s attacks on this last farm have continued under Administrator Pokon’s leadership.
“Although farmers raised these concerns directly with Administrator Pokon last year, their requests for changes in EPA’s unjustified approach have so far been ignored.
“We hope Administrator Pokon’s words signal the beginning of a real shift, one where EPA regulators work alongside family farms to collaborate on environmental stewardship priorities, rather than bludgeon farmers with crushing litigation based on false science. EPA should recognize family farms as strong partners in their mission, not targets to be eliminated.”