Corn Growers Call OSHA Ruling A "Huge Victory" for American Ag Retailers And Farmers

Sep 27, 2016

In a huge victory for American agriculture retailers and farmers, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violated the law when it changed its interpretation of regulations affecting agricultural retail facilities that supply anhydrous ammonia.

In July 2015, OSHA issued an enforcement memorandum that redefined the retail facility exemption to the Process Safety Management Standard. These changes would have subjected 3,800 agricultural retailers to regulations intended for chemical manufacturers, at a cost of more than $100 million. These compliance costs could have driven many facilities out of business, leading to higher costs for farmers as well as increasing travel distances to transport the product. The Agricultural Retailers Association and The Fertilizer Institute led the legal challenge.

"This court decision is a big win for farmers and the ag community," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "Not only does this ruling protect farmers' safe and affordable access to an important crop nutrient technology, but it also affirms that OSHA and other regulatory agencies must follow proper rulemaking procedures. That includes allowing for public notice and comment."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.