.... Publication of Michigan Farm Bureau March 30, 1992 II. Vol. 69, No.6 SARA Title III Compliance and Emergency Planning Made Easy Complying with SARA Title III, a piece of Committee (LEPC) and SERC If they stored ilar to a factory," he said. "The new form federal legislation in existence since 1987, extremely hazardous substances above will prevent each farmer from having to In This Issue .... will be easier with the recent approval by the threshold planning levels. The LEPCs, were re-invent the wheel, and it will standardize You'll find an 8-page bulletin contain- ... State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) to utilize a standard planning form then supposed to have gathered information from farmers and developed an appropriate the information gathered for emergency re- sponse planning." ing the necessary reporting cards to meet the reporting compliance por- for farm operations, according to MFB Leg- emergency response plan. islative Counsel Howard Kelly. Kelly also The SERC approved the use of a form de- tion of SARA Title III, and a copy of represents agriculture on the SERC, along The growing concern in the emergency/res- veloped by Monroe County Emergency the simplified farm emergency plan- with MDA Toxicologist Dr. David Wade. cue community over the lack of compliance Managenment Division's Cyril J. Keiffer ning form. Members should work with Kelly said he was extremely pleased with with the law and appropriate planning, as and MSU's Pesticide Education Coordina- their CES agent, as well as their SERC's decision. well as inadequate funding, could be bad tor Larry Olsen. In addition to the form LEPC, in completing the plan. In ad- news for those who experience a farm fire. revisions, Monroe has also developed a dition, members should also obtain SARA, an acronym for Superfund Amend- total package concept that includes the use of Computer-Aided Management of Emer- the following Extension bulletins from ments and Reauthorization Act, has seven "Recent experiences with rescue personnel their CES Office. different titles. SARA Title III, known as being exposed to farm chemicals fighting gency Operations or CAMEO for short. the Emergency Planning and Community farm fires resulted in trips to the hospital and Right-to-Know Act, requires that persons rescue equipment being contaminated," ex- Working clos"ely with Monroe County Co- * E-2173 "SARA Title III: The who use as well as store extemely hazardous plained Kelly. "That, in turn, has some operative Extesnion Agent Paul Marks, and Farmers Responsibilities under substances at or above threshold planning adapting a 'let it burn' outlook, rather than individual farmers, utilizing CAMEO al- the Emergency Planning and levels, report the quantity and location of face exposure and contamination." lowed Monroe County to develop a custom- Community Right-to-Know Law" those materials to emergency responders for designed, site-specific response plan for planning purposes. Counties that have experienced that sce- each farm operation, based on the data sup- * E-2334 "SARA Title III: Farm nario must also contend with the liability for plied by the farmer on the new planning Response Planning" According to Ruby Harpst, Emergency non-funding and non-compliance, in what forms that can easily be updated annually. Planning Specialist with the Michigan De- is known as "Deliberate Indifference," Each farmer receives the following: partment of State Police, approximately 750 meaning the county had full knowledge of - A copy of the Response Information Data sponse plans with the joint effort of the Michigan farms are in compliance with the law, but failed to comply with it. Sheets (RIDS) for each chemical on that farmer, the LEPC and the CES Agent. SARA Title III reporting requirements. farm. "Even members who don't have chemicals Harpst claims, however, that Michigan's Keeping It Simple - A Farm Hazard Description/Population at or above the threshold planning levels agricultural industry is ahead of other states According to Kelly, the recently approved Vulnerability report from the farm plan should consider working with their LEPC and other industries on a percentage basis in and simplified emergency planning form which applies to their farm site. and CES agent in developing an emergency complying with the law. will resolve one ofthe biggest roadblocks to - A Notification/Warning procedures from response plan," Kelly said. "It's a great reporting compliance and adequate plan- the farm plan. asset to rescue personnel to have that infor- The SARA Title III deadlines required that ning. "Previously, each farmer had to start mation, and it shows the concern farmers by May 17, 1987, farmers were to have from scratch in providing information to the Kelly says that farmers in counties without have for their family, employees and their notified their Local Emergency Planning LEPC, and each operation was treated sim- CAMEO can still develop emergency re- community as well as the environment." • Michigan's Maple Syrup Story - Bigger Than You Might Think! Photo: Mark Eifert Ah, the ideal fantasy breakfast! Freshly hawks to make V-shaped cuts in the maple selectively tap the trees squeezed orange juice. Hot coffee. A stack trees. Reeds or concave pieces of bark to skip the ones that pro- of fluffy pancakes drenched in butter and would direct the dripping sap to birch bark duce the thinnest sap." pure maple syrup. The maple syrup literally buckets. tops it all off. Those weak, store-bought Next, you need at least a sugary syrup-blends just won't do the job. The first settlers and fur traders introduced few spiles, which are the For the very best, you simply must have the wooden buckets to the process, as well as taps that go through the 100 percent pure gourmet treat from the iron and copper kettles. Later, they bored bark of the maple tree. Michigan sugarbush. holes in the trees and hung their buckets on Larger trees can handle home-made spouts. multiple taps. Buckets Native Americans were the first to discover or plastic bags are hung the sweetness of maple sap, according to A hundred to a 150 years ago, most Michi- from the spiles to collect the International Maple Syrup Institute. gan farms tapped trees for maple syrup, said the dripping sap .. The Algonquin word for maple syrup is George Fogle, owner of Sugarbush Supply "sinzibuckwud," which means "drawn Company of Mason. His company is one of You can buy more elab- from wood." They would use their toma- the Midwest's leading supplies of maple orate equipment from syrup equipment. suppliers. That can in- clude state-of-the-art "In the days before sugar was widely avail- plastic tubes connected able, maple syrup was the staple sweetener to all the trees in your of rural people," he said. woods, along with a vac- "" uum system to increase Maple syrup is big business in Michigan, sap flow. with 300 commercial producers selling 90,000 gallons a year. But producing your The tapping season be- own syrup can be a rewarding and tasty gins when the daytime hobby. temperatures rise enough to get the sap Start with sugar maple trees. "Maybe a running. That can be dozen trees will produce all the syrup a anywhere from the mid- family can use," said Fogle. dle of February to the first part of March. Sap The quality and quantity of the sap depend flow needs the alternate on the variety, age, health and size of the freezing and thawing tree, as well as soil and weather. Some commonly found in individual trees are even genetically north temperate regions sweeter than neighboring ones, according this time of year. to Fogle. "We have devices to test the sugar content of sap," he said. "That way you can See "Syrup" continued on page 10 Capitol Corner - Michigan Farm Weather _ Farm Business Outlook - Michigan Farm News •• March 30, 1992 In Brief ... USDA Puts Positive Spin on Dunkel Plan GA TT Ruling on Canadian Countervailing Duties The compromise plan for freer international trade submitted by GAIT Director General Good News for U.S. Corn Growers Arthur Dunkel would result in a $4 billion to $5 billion expansion of U.S. farm exports, and farm net income would likely rise by about $1 billion, according to USDA's assessment of American com growers won a major victory in a battle to overturn a dangerous Canadian the Dunkel proposal. ruling regarding countervailing duties on U.S. com. An international dispute resolution panel established by GAIT at the request of the U.S., decided the Canadian ruling violated Knight-Ridder News reports higher gain sales would account for about half the increase international trade rules concerning countervailing duties. American Farm Bureau and the with benefits also going to producers of tobacco, cotton, meat, poultry and eggs, tree nuts National Com Growers were instrumental in persuading the U.S. government to press.the and vegetables, and greenhouse products, USDA said. case at GAIT and in providing critical background information and analysis of the issue. The U.S. would be the only country with the technical and resource capabilities to meet the At issue was a 46-cent per bushel duty on U.S. corn, imposed by the Canadian government's increased demand for medium-grain rice, according to the USDA. International Trade Tribunal five years ago, because they felt the 1985 Farm Bill's price supports had seriously lowered the world price of com. Under the current proposal, non-tariff barriers, such as quotas and import bans, would be converted to equivalent tariffs and the tariffs reduced over a period of time. By disregarding the requirement under GAIT that countervailing duties be imposed only when actual imports cause or threaten price injury, the Tribunal set a dangerous precedent The Dunkel plan also would require domestic crop production subsidies to be cut by 20 for future Canadian and European cases against U.S. agricultural exports. percent over six years, based on outlays made between 1986 and 1988. Credit would be given for cuts already made, so most U.S. commodities would not be affected, according Farm Bureau argued that countervailing duties should not be imposed against U.S. agricul- tural exports simply because the U.S. plays a dominant role in shaping world prices. The to the USDA . • recent decision should serve as a warning to other countries that are considering using Hay and Forage Experts to Meet In Grand Rapids countervailing duties to block U.S. commodities from their markets. The latest research and farm practices related to the production of livestock forages will be Where's Your Planter Placing Fertilizer? detailed April 5-8 in Grand Rapids. The American Forage and Grassland Council (AFGC) wiJ1 hold its annual meeting at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Scientists and forage As part of a study of fertilizer placement and tillage systems, University of Wisconsin- producers from many areas of the United States will take part. Madison agricultural engineers Kevin Shinners and Ron Schuler examined a variety of new and used planters. They found that fertilizer placement varied greatly, even with The meeting is open to farmers and agricultural advisors. The program will include individual planters. Placement ranged from 0 inches offset to 4.5 inches offset among presentations of research by university and business agronomists and discussion by farmers various planters, with variations of up to 2 inches on individual planters. about their innovations in forage harvesting and preservation. Among the tours planned for the meeting will be a visit to one of Michigan's most modem dairy farms and a review of "This showed that some planters aren't placing the fertilizer where you think they are," agronomic research trials at the Michigan State University Kellogg Biological Station. Shinners says. "Every planter, new or used, should be checked for correct adjustment before it goes into the field this Spring. As you adjust planters before spring work, it's Spouses' tours include visits to the Grand Rapids historic district and museum and a visit appropriate that you determine fertilizer opener position relative to the seed opener." to the Dutch Village and Manufacturers' Market Place in Holland. Registration, excluding lodging, meals and tours, is $75 for all three days of the program or $25 for one day. Student Farm Bureau Member Writes registration is $40. Urges Farmer Participation in an Organ Donor Program The AFGC meeting is being sponsored by the Michigan Hay and Forage Council and the What a welcome sight the January issue of "Health Harvest" was. I believe it's time Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service. Details of the annual meeting we farmers begin paying a little more attention to our health. Grain pricing and can be obtained from John Durling at MSU by calling (517) 355-0264, or by writing futures outlooks are very important to the health of the farm, but what about the to: Dana Tucker, AFGC, P.O. Box 94, Georgetown, TX 78627. operator? The spouse? Even the children's health can effect the entire operation. I speak from experience. Four years ago, I received a kidney transplant, after Young People's Citizenship Student Search is On waiting 10 months because of a lack of organ donors. Today the waiting list has Outstanding high school students eligible to attend the Michigan Farm Bureau Young grown to 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years. Every 20 minutes a new name is added to the list of People's Citizenship Seminar, June 15-19 at Olivet College will be participating in one of those waiting. Sadly, every day, five to seven people die while waiting .. the finest programs offered for young people in Michigan. YPCS "graduates" return to their communities with the knowledge, commitment and enthusiasm for participating in Farmers as a group don't consider organ donations very often. Is there something the democratic process. we can do regarding this? I believe Health Harvest could make an impact. I've been promoting organ donations for the past three years by working with the Organ Eligible students are: high school juniors and seniors in the 1992-93 school year; interested Procurement Agency of Michigan (OPAM), and with the Kidney Foundation of in government, social and economic issues, and/or politics; potential leaders or those who Michigan. participate well in large group settings; articulate and willing to speak to groups after the seminar; and from either a farm or non-farm background. Ed Heyn, Baroda, MI During the conference, over 200 young men and women will participate in mock voter registration, political party conventions, campaigns, and voting. Dynamic speakers, rec- Editor's Note: Thank you for your comments and suggestion, Mr. Heyn! Turn to page 4 ognized as experts in the fields of economics, world cultures, government, and personal of this issue's Health Harvest insert for more on Ed's story, as well as what you can do to growth, will background the students on their role as citizens of the United States and the prevent unnecessary waiting for those needing organ transplant surgery in the future. world. County Farm Bureaus pay registration fees with the support of local businesses, leaving CANADIAN NATIONAL BREEDERS SCHOOL only transportation costs to be covered by the students themselves. For application and program information, contact your county Farm Bureau office. But hurry! Registra- MAY 27 - 31, 1992 • UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH (ONT.) tion deadline is May 1, 1992. flj (l: From the blackboard to barnyard ... this 5th-annual school feautres: J..I • an all-star teaching line-up to include the following three anchors: National Dairy Board Offers Scholarships Dr. Roger Hunsley, executive secretary - American Shorthorn Assoc; The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board awards up to 20 scholarships each Dr. Harlan Ritchie, animal science professor, Michigan State University; academic year to students in their junior or senior year. Winners receive a $1,500 scholar- Dr. Gary Minish, animal science professor Virginia Tech University . ship check and plaque. • presentations by contemporary beef industry speakers covering topics such as marketing, reproductive performance, herd health, cattle management, selection, etc. Scholarship selection is based on academic performance; evidence of leadership ability; • a lively school format including classroom sessions and hands-on instruction in the cattle evidence of initiative, character and integrity; and apparent commitment to a career in dairy barns giving you the opportunity to apply the blackboard knowledge to the barnyard science technology, marketing, or a food-related science with an emphasis in dairy products. The total registration fee is $395 Canadian (plus applicable taxes) This effort is funded by America's dairy farmers through the National Dairy Board. Your registration fee includes all meals and accommodation at the university, all school activities, printed Applications are due April 15, 1992. Write the National Dairy Board, 211 Wilson Blvd., compendium of school proceedings, and a Canadian National Breeders School shirt and cap. Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201, or call (703) 528-4800. Contact the Canadian Charolais Assoc. or the following people for more infonnation: Canadian Charolais Association er:i) ~ 2320 - 41 Avenue N.E., Calgary, Alberta TIE 6W8 The MICHIGAN FARM NEWS (ISSN a_eo) is published semi-monthly except in the months of November, December, June, and July when only one issue is printed, as a service to regular members, by Michigan Farm ~ .... (403}2SO-9242 Fax (403}291-9324 Bureau, 7373 West Saginaw Highway, Lansing, M148917. Member subscription price of $1.50 included in annual Brian Pogue, Ph. (OMAF) 519/846-0941 Dr. Harlan Ritchie, Ph. 517/355-8409 dues of Michigan Farm Bureau regular members. Additional subscription fees required for mailing Michigan Farm ------------------, Clip and Return this registration form as soon as possible - space News to non-members and outside the continental U.S.A. Application to mail at Second-Class Postage rates is pending at Lansing, MI and additional mailing offices. Letters to the editor and statewide news articles should be sent to: Editor, Michigan Farm News, P.O. Box 30960, Lansing, MI48909-8460. POSTMASTER: Send address is limited to the first 100 registrants: I changes to: Michigan Farm News, P.O. Box 30960, Lansing, MI48909-8460. Name: I Editorial: Dennis Rudat, Editor and Business Manager. Staff Contributors: Mike Rogers; Connie Turbin; Donna Wilber; Henry Huisjen. I Address: , Officers: President, Jack Laurie, Cass City; Vice President, Wayne Wood, Marlette; Administrative Director, Chuck Phone: , Burkett; Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Tom Parker; Secretary, William S. Wilkinson. Directors: District 1, Jim Miller, Coloma; District 2, Blaine VanSickle, Marshall; District 3, Diane Homing, Manchester; District 4, Tom Zip Code: Guthrie, Delton; District 5, Mark Smuts, Charlotte; District 6, Wayne Wood, Marlette; District 7, Larry Snider, Hart; I District 8, Richard Leach, Saginaw; District 9, Joshua Wunsch, Traverse City; District 10, Margaret Kartes, West Enclose a $100 deposit with this form (Make cheques payable I. Branch; District 11, Robert Wahmhoff, Baraga. At-Large: Douglas Darling, Maybee; Jack Laurie, Cass City; Faye Adam, Snover; Jan Vosburg, Climax. Promotion and Education, Leona Daniels, Sterling. Young Farmers, Steven to the Canadian Charolais Association). Mail to the Canadian I Gonyea, Spruce. Charolals Assoc_,2320 - 41 Ave. N.E., Calgary, Alta. T2E 6W8 Michigan Farm News ITOL o -. March 30, 1992 o :D Z m. :D Scrap Tires MFB Position: Rep. Beverly Bodem (R-Alpena) is sponsoring HB 5315 Farm Bureau supports which would exempt "feed storage locations" from the HB 5315 (H-l). Scrap Tire Regulatory Act. Feed storage location means a 10cati?~ on one or mo~ pieces of adjacent real property MFB Contact: contammg a commercIally operated farming operation Vicki Pontz, Ext. 2046 where not more than 3,000 scrap tires are used for the pur- pose of securing stored feed. The Scrap Tire Regulatory Act of 1990 requires a person .. who accumulates scrap tires at a collection site to register with the Department of Natural Resources for $200 annu- ally, and to establish a program for mosquito conti-ol. A per- son accumulating tires is also required to maintain a bond from a surety company, a certificate of deposit, a cash bond, or an irrevocable letter of credit sufficent to cover the cost of removing the tires from the tire storage area. HB 5315 (H-l) passed the House, and was reported out of