EPA Administrator Michael Regan is forming a new Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs at the agency, something he says will “expand engagement opportunities beyond any that we've done so far.”
Regan announced the office in remarks alongside Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack at Commodity Classic in Houston, where he told the audience the new group of employees would “ensure that your voices are heard and that your ideas are understood.”
In a release, the EPA said the new office will work in “close coordination with EPA’s program offices and regions” to “forge practical, science-based solutions that protect the environment while ensuring a vibrant and productive agricultural system.”
The office will be led by Rod Snyder, who has served as EPA’s Senior Agriculture Adviser since 2021.
“With Rod’s leadership, and with the establishment of this new office, we will ensure agriculture and rural stakeholders have a continual seat at the table at EPA for many years to come,” Regan said.
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Regan also championed other efforts in his remarks, including last year’s finalization of blending targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard and the agency’s work to ensure access to existing stocks of dicamba following a recent court order that pulled the product’s registration.
“We feel like we stopped the bleeding there and saved a lot of families a lot of money,” Regan told reporters. “I think this is a great example of why we have to be sure that when we make these decisions, that they are science-based decisions, and that we're confident in the decisions that we're making moving forward.”
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