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12 Nov

Posted at 07:17h in Industry News
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The Kansas Department of Transportation is committed to keeping the highways cleared whenever inclement weather impacts the state. In line with workforce shortages across the nation, KDOT does not have enough equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators – in a number of areas across Kansas. These shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice as quickly as in the past. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages are greater this year. KDOT is about 30% short of snowplow...

09 Nov

Posted at 15:26h in Industry News
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will collect a $52,221 penalty from Postville, Iowa, fertilizer distributor Farmers Union Cooperative to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Plan Rule. According to EPA, the company stores 457,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, a regulated toxic substance, and failed to comply with regulations intended to protect workers and the surrounding community from accidental releases of regulated substances. After reviewing Farmers Union Cooperative’s facility records, EPA determined that the company failed to update its plans for preventing the release of anhydrous ammonia...

04 Nov

Posted at 06:36h in Industry News, Regulatory
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On Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, President Joe Biden released details of the administration's long-rumored COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate includes two newly-released policies and updates the previously announced federal contractor/employee rule: Vaccine requirement for employers with 100 or more employees Vaccine requirement for health care workers New timeline for federal contractors/employees of vaccination by Jan. 4, 2022. OSHA) is announcing the details of a requirement for employers with 100 or more employees to ensure each of their workers is fully vaccinated or tests for COVID-19 on at least a weekly basis. The...

21 Oct

Posted at 09:25h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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On October 19, 2021, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association joined with the Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council in providing comments to the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the agency reviews an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on Vaccination Mandates and Testing by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in response to Presidential Executive Order 12866. As it has been announced, the proposed standard will require employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or are tested weekly...

21 Oct

Posted at 09:24h in Industry News, Regulatory
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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking volunteers to participate in a road usage charge (RUC) study. The study will focus on identifying how a RUC system that reflects unique Midwestern needs could help fund transportation investments. The study is being supported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and coordinated with the Minnesota DOT to expand the pilot’s reach. This study is a only a test-run – not implementation. What is RUC? A road usage charge, or RUC, is a policy whereby drivers pay to use the road based on miles driven....

15 Oct

Posted at 08:06h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) has signed onto two letters bound for United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters Friday, Oct. 15. The first letter files formal objections regarding EPA's final rule issued on Aug. 30, 2021 revoking all tolerances for the insecticide chlorpyrifos. It urges EPA to rescind the final rule revoking tolerances and consider continued agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos under its ongoing, normal-order registration reviews. The letter further requests EPA stay implementation of the rule until the objections can be formally addressed and responded to by EPA. The second letter...

04 Oct

Posted at 09:33h in Industry News
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Kansas Dept. of Agriculture (KDA) is hosting a virtual federal infrastructure funding Zoom meeting on Oct. 15, 2021. See more information from KDA below. The Heartland’s economy – and our nation’s economy – relies on agriculture, transportation and technology industries working well together. With the focus on federal infrastructure funding, now is the time for our region to identify partnership opportunities and regional strategies that generate game-changing results for generations to come. The HomeField Advantage series is an opportunity to learn from each other and plan how to leverage our regional strengths. Maximizing investments...

28 Sep

Posted at 10:15h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association organized a coalition of agriculture organizations to submit a letter to EPA administrator Michael Regan requesting the agency provide regulatory certainty and ensure continued access to dicamba products under the 2020 approved label. The undersigned coalition of Kansas agricultural stakeholders represents cotton and soybean farmers, agribusiness, biofuels industry, and conservationists who seek the continued use of over-the-top (OTT), post-emergent application of dicamba herbicide products. The letter also seeks state level flexibility on use and cut-off dates as necessary to meet the needs and growing conditions present in each...

21 Sep

Posted at 08:21h in Industry News, Regulatory
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ARA received notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it has published the chlorpyrifos final rule FAQs , which can be accessed through the chlorpyrifos main web page. These questions represent the most commonly asked questions EPA received since issuing the final rule. All but six of ARA’s questions were answered in the FAQs. For those six remaining questions, below are EPA’s responses. ARA is participating in several stakeholder calls later today for further discussions on how the industry can respond to EPA’s decision related to revoking all tolerances for...

10 Sep

Posted at 10:30h in Industry News
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Kansas Wheat has prepared a packet of information available via the button below. Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus and associated diseases have shown noticeable yield losses in Kansas. In this packet you will find timely information from Kansas State University as well as historical information from the 2017 crop year, which suffered devastating losses due to this disease. Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus is a growing issue in Kansas. Tests show that the disease showed up not only in western Kansas, but also in central Kansas this year. The best way to stop the...

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