News & Articles

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has invited potential conservation partners, including private industry, non-government organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, water districts, and universities to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

SB114 (Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs) would end the requirement that counties publish in a local newspaper a list of people who are delinquent on paying taxes on mineral interests. The bill would require the counties to publish the list on a website. This bill is being supported by the Association of Arkansas Counties, and it is facing strong opposition from print media advocates.

On January 18, 2017 the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM), stating that the agency is considering amended the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to establish vapor pressure limits for the transportation of crude oil and potentially all Class 3 flammable liquid hazardous materials. The PHMSA issued the ANPRM in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by the New York Attorney General.

USDA has put out a great poster, shown below, describing the USDA Final Rule for Organic Livestock and Poutry Practices. There are three stages to implementing the rule. Within one year, all provisions – except for outdoor access requirements for layers and indoor space requirements for broilers – must be implemented.

The United States Supreme Court has granted a petition for certiorari from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on the Environmental Protection Agency's Waters of the United States Rule.