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01 Sep

Posted at 06:24h in Industry News, Regulatory
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Passage of the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation plan requires Kansas Dept. of Transportation (KDOT) to hold local consult meetings every two years to gather input on projects. This year, KDOT's Local Consult looks different. Out of an abundance of caution and to comply with current state guidance related to COVID-19, the Local Consult meetings will be held virtually, with two online options to participate: A virtual live Zoom meeting will take place for each region plus the Wichita and Kansas City metro areas. Visit https://www.ksdotike.org/projects/local-consult-process for the schedule and to register. This...

25 Aug

Posted at 08:57h in Industry News
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Amidst the excitement of returning to an in-person annual meeting, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association’s 20-plus member board of directors selected Dustin Kuntz of Harveyville Seed Company, Inc., to serve a two-year term as chairman through August of 2023 earlier this week in Manhattan. "I am humbled and honored to carry this baton of leadership for our industry,” Kuntz, whose father also served as the association’s chairman in 1987, said. “I intend to continue building on the rich legacy of the many volunteer leaders who have served before me.” Kuntz is the 55th...

03 Aug

Posted at 10:05h in Industry News, Regulatory
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the interim decision (ID) for the pesticide paraquat dichloride (paraquat) finalizing new, stronger safety measures to reduce exposure. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires the agency to periodically re-evaluate pesticides through registration review to ensure that risk assessments and pesticide decisions reflect the best available science. The ID is part of the legally required registration review process to identify risks as well as actions that can mitigate risks. Paraquat is an herbicide applied annually to control invasive weeds and grasses in crops including cotton, corn, and soybeans. No direct one-to-one alternatives to paraquat are available. All paraquat products are Restricted Use Products and may only...

02 Aug

Posted at 08:39h in Industry News, Regulatory
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the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army announced plans for upcoming community engagements to inform their efforts to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) to better ensure clean and safe water for all. EPA and Army are committed to developing a reasonable, effective, and durable definition of WOTUS that protects public health, the environment, and downstream communities while supporting economic opportunity, agriculture, and other industries. “We are committed to crafting an enduring definition of WOTUS by listening to all sides so that...

14 Jul

Posted at 07:01h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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United States Environmental Protection Agency has extended the comment period for its proposed changes to the Risk Management Program Rule by 16 calendar days from July 15, 2021 to July 31, 2021. Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) members now have until July 31, 2021 to submit comments to EPA at http://www.regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021-0312). This week KARA submitted comments which are included in this email via the button below for member use in drafting their own responses. Based on comments it receives, EPA may propose additional changes for covered facilities (such as ag retail) similar...

09 Jul

Posted at 08:48h in Industry News
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Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association's (KARA) scholarship committee has awarded nearly $10,000 in scholarships to Kansas high school graduating seniors and current college students for the 2021-22 academic year. The scholarship committee, comprised of KARA's membership, received more than 100 applications and awarded six students scholarships to assist in advancing their academic endeavors. “Our board of directors and industry as a whole agree one of the most important things we can do is assist in ensuring our next generation of agribusiness professionals are able to access higher education,” KARA’s president and CEO Ron...

02 Jul

Posted at 06:30h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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Updated: July 01, 2021 At the request of the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association on June 30, 2021 the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) submitted a 24(c) special local needs registration request to the EPA for Xtendimax with VaporGrip Technology (EPA Registration Number 264-1210). Today, KARA was informed that the special local need registration was not granted. Therefore, this product may not be applied to soybeans in Kansas after June 30, 2021. Story from June 28, 2021 New EPA-approved labels for certain dicamba herbicide products will prohibit application to soybeans after June 30, 2021, and...

02 Jul

Posted at 06:29h in Regulatory
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 is hosting online Compliance Assistance Webinars on July 20 & Aug. 3 to discuss the Risk Management Program at agricultural facilities. These webinars are being hosted by EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance staff. Discussion for the July webinar centers on spill reporting, public meetings following RMP reportable accidents, emergency response exercises, and enhanced coordination with local emergency planners and responders. Discussion for the August webinar focus Risk Management Program inspections. Following the presentation, a question-and-answer session was held that provided attendees...

28 Jun

Posted at 09:28h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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New EPA-approved labels for certain dicamba herbicide products will prohibit application to soybeans after June 30, 2021, and to cotton after July 31, 2021. Due to this shortened application window, Kansas soybean growers and commercial applicators will be unable to use these beneficial products on many soybean acres. Federal law allows states to register a special local needs label for pesticide products within their state. Known as a FIFRA section 24(c) label, this registration would allow state regulators to broaden the application window of EPA-approved pesticide products. This year, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers...

15 Jun

Posted at 05:59h in Industry News, Regulatory
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers have asked a federal judge to remand the Waters of United States (WOTUS) rule without vacating it, essentially leaving the current rule in place while the agencies work on a replacement. “This action reflects the agencies’ intent to initiate a new rulemaking process that restores the protections in place prior to the 2015 WOTUS implementation, and anticipates developing a new rule that defines WOTUS and is informed by a robust engagement process…,” the announcement stated. Prior to the 2015 rule's implementation, those...

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