www.biofuelsdigest.com - In Washington, US Senate Agricultural Committee chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa said that climate legislation in the Senate will incorporate all provisions obtained by House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson in the House cap-and-trade bill, HR 2454, and said that the Senate would not only repeat the Peterson provisions but in all likelihood would add to them. Ranking Agriculture Committee Republican Saxby Chambliss of Georgia told the New York Times that "You're going to see more interest in agriculture on the Senate side, I think." Chairman Harkin met earlier this week with Senate Environmental Committee chair Barbara Boxer of Califoirnia, who yesterday dramatically announced that the climate bill would not reach the floor of the Senate until after the summer recess of Congress. Among other provisions in the House bill, Harkin said that indirect land use change would be specifically targeted in the bill, and said that the Senate would not permit the ILUC provisions as drafted by the EPA to stand. Harkin also said that he would seek to expand carbon offset opportunities for farmers and ranchers. "EPA's got to get over their absolute rejection of ethanol," Harkin told the New York Times. "They've just got to get over it. And we're going to force them to get over it."
