On Thursday (tomorrow), the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will hold a hearing examining derivatives reform that will feature testimony from Gary Gensler, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Mary Schapiro, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Committee members are likely to ask questions about the agencies’ work leading up to the MF Global bankruptcy, which has left farmer clients in the lurch.  Sen. Chuck Grassley, a member of the Agriculture Committee, made the following comment on the hearing.  Grassley has a scheduling conflict with the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Ranking Member, but plans to attend the Agriculture Committee hearing as much as possible.  If he can’t attend, he will pose any questions he thinks were not asked to the witnesses for written responses for the hearing record.  Also, the Agriculture Committee has scheduled an investigative hearing on the MF Global case for Dec. 13, so there will be continued opportunities to ask questions.

“I appreciate the committee leaders’ attention to this issue.  It’s been weeks since MF Global’s bankruptcy.  The public is still in the dark on basic facts.  Unanswered questions include who discovered that client money was missing, how much of that money is actually missing, and how much of the client money can be recovered.  I hope the committee will be able to get some direct answers from Chairman Gensler and Chairman Schapiro.  It’s a good opportunity to ask the questions our constituents would ask if they could be there.”

On Saturday, December 10TH at 10:00 A.M. the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center will be hosting a natural wreath program. Come learn how to use natural items to make beautiful seasonal wreaths.  Grapevines, pinecones, evergreen cuttings, seeds, nuts and berries can add a touch of the outdoors to anyone’s decorating needs this season.  Please call to register, as space is limited to 12 participants ~ (563) 328-3286.

On Saturday, November 19th at 10:00 A.M. the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center will be hosting a winter bird feeding program. Come learn how you can attract and feed our common feathered friends on any budget.  Simple supplies and preparation can get you started right in your own backyard.  Call to register, (563) 328-3286

Environmental News

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 7, 2011) - EPA officials will attend the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk event at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, Nov. 10.

Interview topics include regulatory updates on air and water quality programs, animal feeding operations, nutrient management and pesticides.

WHAT: National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention and Trade Talk

WHEN: 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011

WHO: Karl Brooks, Regional Administrator; Josh Svaty, Senior Adviser; and Kris Lancaster, Agricultural Public Affairs Specialist

WHERE: Booth 74, Westin Crown Center, 1 Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo.

Biographies of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Booth 70 Staff

Karl Brooks serves as the Regional Administrator for EPA Region 7. He was appointed by President Barack Obama and reports directly to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. His responsibilities include supervising environmental programs in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and nine tribal nations. Brooks practiced trial and appellate law for a decade. He was elected in 1986 to the first of three terms in the Idaho Senate. Retiring from elective politics, from 1993 to 1996 he served the Idaho Conservation League as executive director and legislative liaison. Since earning his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and joining the faculty in 2000, he has taught American environmental, political, and legal history as well as environmental law and policy.

Josh Svaty is a senior adviser to the Region 7 Administrator. He is the fifth-generation of his family to farm in Ellsworth County, Kan. The Svaty farm is a diversified operation that includes wheat, milo, soybeans, corn, sunflowers, a cow/calf herd and sheep. Svaty served as the State Representative of the 108th District in Kansas for seven years. His committee assignments included the committees for Energy and Utilities, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the joint committee on Energy and Environmental Policy. Svaty later served as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture. In this position, he managed a $27 million budget, a 380-employee workforce and statutory duties for 17 programs. He holds a B.A. from Sterling College in Sterling, Kan.

Kris Lancaster is an EPA spokesperson responsible for agriculture, pesticides, renewable fuels, water and wetland issues. His past agricultural employment includes serving as a licensed grain inspector, agricultural adviser to the chairman of the Missouri House Agriculture Committee and to two members of Congress, a farm real estate broker, a federal crop insurance broker and a negotiator of agricultural leases for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His family owns a corn and soybean farm in Scotland County, Mo. Lancaster has 28 years of media relations experience and serves on Region 7’s Agriculture and Renewable Fuels Team. He graduated from Central Missouri State University and completed an advanced sciences program at Park University.

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