Northern Colorado Gazette

by Jack Minor –

WASHINTON D.C. – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) awarded the Guardian of Small Business Award to 4^th Congressional Rep. Cory Gardner on Thursday, Sept. 13.

In presenting the award, Dan Danner, NFIB CEO and President said Gardner had fought for small business owners against excessive government regulations.

“In the 112th Congress, Representative Cory Gardner proved that he is a champion of small business,” Danner said. “The Guardian of Small Business Award is a legislative award given to U.S. Representatives and Senators who vote to promote and protect the right of small-business owners to own, operate and grow their business.”

It is an honor to receive this award,” Gardner said.  “I have always believed that small businesses are the primary drivers of job creation and economic growth in our nation.  It is important to keep government out of their way and provide stable economic conditions so that our small business community can continue to thrive.”

While in Congress Gardner has fought against attempts by the government to place what seems like strange and unusual regulations that would affect Weld County.

Under questioning by Gardner, Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, was asked if the EPA regulated farm dust. “I’ve heard others say it’s a myth that EPA is trying to regulate dust, but you already do, is that correct?”

McCarthy attempted to dodge the answer by first saying they do not regulate farm dust; then went on to say “We establish health based standards it’s up to the states and local communities to decide what is appropriate to regulate.”

McCarthy then admitted that the EPA does have regulations on fine and coarse dust. “It is very directly a linkage because of the health consequences associated with coarse particles, some of which may be from farms.” She said “we could probably continue this for a while, but we do not directly regulate farm dust, we have do not have farm dust regulations. We have national standards that regulate coarse and fine particles.”

Earlier this year, he spoke out against attempts by the Obama administration to enact rules that would have barred young people from operating farm equipment it considered “dangerous.”

The Labor proposed rules that among other things would have banned children working on a family farm from using “power driven equipment.”

The administration defined “power driven” as as being “all machines, equipment, implements, vehicles and/or devices operated by any power source other than human hand or foot power.”

Additionally, “equipment operated by any source of energy, such as wind, electricity, fossil fuels, batteries, animals, or water, would all be considered ‘power-driven.’”

This would have prohibited children from even using power washers to clean tractors and other farm equipment.

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