A U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration must go through a formal rulemaking process before applying stricter standards to retailers of anhydrous ammonia. Nebraska Farm Bureau’s National Affairs Coordinator Jordan Dux says it’s a big victory for Nebraska’s farmers and agribusinesses.
He says OSHA had tied their regulation to an explosion that occurred at a fertilizer facility in West Texas three years ago. Dux says that proved unfounded and the presence of anhydrous there was not a contributing factor to the explosion.
Dux says had the OSHA regulation gone forward it would have created astronomical costs for farmers and ranchers and retailers and made it difficult or not impossible for them to obtain anhydrous ammonia.
Dux says OSHA now has to go back to the drawing board and hold a rulemaking process. He’s encouraging farmers and others to make sure they make their voices heard during that process.
