Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 13 March 2018

Ag Department kills animal welfare rule for organic meat

Livestock and Poultry Prac- appointing. The power of
tices rule exceeds the de- Washington lobbyists wins
partment’s statutory au- again,” said Francis Thicke,
thority. who runs an organic dairy
“The organic industry’s and grows crops in south-
continued growth domes- eastern Iowa near Fairfield.
tically and globally shows The regulation was de-
that consumers trust the signed to ensure that or-
current approach that ganically grown livestock
balances consumer ex- had enough space to lie
pectations and the needs down, turn around, stand
of organic producers and up and fully stretch. It also
handlers,” said USDA Mar- prohibited removal of
keting and Regulatory Pro- chicken beaks and cutting
gram Undersecretary Greg cattle tails and required
Ibach. improved living conditions
The rule was published by including fresh air, proper
former President Barack ventilation and direct sun-
Obama’s Agriculture De- light. Dropping the rule
partment two days before “reverses the nearly two
Cage-free chickens walk in a fenced pasture at an organic farm near Waukon, Iowa. The Trump he left office in January decades of collaboration
administration is withdrawing federal rules that would require organic meat and egg produc- 2017. The administration of and feedback from farm-
ers to abide by stricter animal welfare standards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Donald Trump has repeat- ers and consumers,” said
Monday, March 12, 2018, it would withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule edly delayed implement- Matt Bershadker, CEO of
published by former President Barack Obama’s Agriculture Department two days before he left ing the rule and had sig- the American Society for
office in January.
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) naled that it might never the Prevention of Cruelty
move forward with it. to Animals. “Millions of ani-
By DAVID PITT egg producers to abide welfare groups but leaving “It’s not a surprise. We mals will continue to suffer
Associated Press by stricter animal welfare some traditional egg and had some admission by each year because of the
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — standards were withdrawn livestock farm groups re- the USDA that the industry USDA’s abdication of its
New rules, decades in the by the federal government joicing. had been camping out in duty to enforce meaning-
making, that would have on Monday, frustrating or- The U.S. Department of Ag- their office bending their ful organic animal welfare
required organic meat and ganic farmers and animal riculture said the Organic arms and their ears. It’s dis- standards.”q

Latest nor’easter could dump a foot or more of snow

BOSTON (AP) — Winter- Tuesday morning com- thousands of power out- mph (104 kph) are forecast is wreaking havoc with
weary New Englanders are mute, disrupting road and ages, this winter monster is in coastal areas. the age-old town meeting
preparing for blizzard con- air travel. American Airlines a little bit different. Boston and eastern Massa- tradition. But Secretary of
ditions, more than a foot announced that it had “This one’s main impact is chusetts, as well as Rhode State William Gardner and
of snow and high winds as suspended all flight opera- going to be snow,” said Kim Island, could get a foot and Attorney General Gordon
the third major nor’easter in tions from Boston Logan Buttrick, a meteorologist a half of snow, with less to MacDonald said under
two weeks bears down on International Airport on with the National Weather the west of the city. state law, town meeting
the Northeast. Tuesday because of the Service office in Taunton, Officials said Boston and elections must go on.
The National Weather Ser- storm. The airline said ar- Massachusetts. Providence schools will be In New York, heavy, wet
vice on Monday issued a rivals and departures from More power outages are closed on Tuesday. snow is forecast for Long Is-
blizzard warning for much Bangor, Maine, Burlington, possible, but they are not Maine also is bracing for a land, which could get 5 to
of the Massachusetts coast, Vermont, Manchester, New expected to be as wide- hard hit. The Portland Inter- 10 inches of accumulation,
a winter storm warning for Hampshire and New Ha- spread as last week. Only national Jetport has had while 2 to 4 inches are pos-
most of New England and a ven, Connecticut also will minor coastal flooding is 75.5 inches (1.9 meters) of sible in New York City.
winter weather advisory for be shut down. possible. snow, far above the normal In New Jersey, the storm
portions of New York, Penn- The blizzard warning means for the date of 51.8 inches is expected to start out as
sylvania and New Jersey. Amtrak said it is suspending sustained winds of great- (1.3 meters) with another 12 light rain before changing
The storm is expected to service from Boston to New er than 35 mph (56 kph), to 18 inches is on the way, over to all snow by early
hit late Monday and last York’s Penn Station on Tues- along with visibility of less said James Brown, of the Tuesday, leaving behind up
through most of the day day until 11 a.m. than a quarter mile for pro- National Weather Service. to 4 inches.
Tuesday, with snow ac- While the first two storms of longed periods, accord- In New Hampshire, where The Northeast isn’t the only
cumulating at a rate of 2 the month brought coastal ing to the weather service. as much as 14 inches of area of the country dealing
inches per hour during the flooding and hundreds of Wind gusts as high as 65 snow is forecast, the storm with winter weather.q