DOCSLIB.ORG

Grain Entrapments in 2014 Unconfirmed – TTD Numbers – As of Dec

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Grain Entrapments in 2014 Unconfirmed – TTD Numbers – As of Dec Grain Entrapments in 2014 Unconfirmed – TTD numbers – as of Dec. 30, 2014 Number of Reported Entrapments Fatalities Est. for 2014 - 36(*) 18. (as of Dec. 30, 2014) 2013 – 33 13__________________________________________ 2012 - 20 8 Purdue University shares the “Official Numbers” 2011 - 32 11 the First Quarter of every year. The numbers 2010 - 59 31 above for 2014 are rough indicators for 2009- 44 19 now and should be considered a sampling of recent incidents only. Unfortunately, the 2008 - 35 17 numbers for 2013 were 50% higher than what we 2007 - 34 16 experienced in 2012, and 2014 is not starting out very good. (*) The Number of “Reported Entrapments” reflected is low, because many of these incidents that take place never get reported. ___________________________________________________________________ ON-Farm – -versus – - Off-Farm incidents for 2014: Number of Reported Grain Entrapments Fatalities Farm - 30 (83%) 15 (83%) Off-Farm - 6 3________ TOTAL - 36 18_______ Note: 83% of Total Entrapments have been ON-FARMS - - TTD - in 2014. 83% of Fatalities have been ON-FARM. ( as of Dec. 30. 2014) 12/22/94 – A Cargill employee was rescued from an open corn pile after being trapped for over 2 hours. Area emergency responders helped rescue the employee at the Cargill plant in Alberta. The employee was trapped in corn from the waist down and had his foot lodged under a pipe. ______________________________________________________________________________ 12/19/14 – A farmer – R.V. “Rocky” Schmidt was killed by mechanical asphyxiation in his corn bin near Lynnville, IN. The farm is about 20 miles NE of Evansville. Schmidt was found with a shovel and did have a safety rope on him. However, he was working alone and likely did not have the bin-entry-line secured properly. The emergency responders cut holes into the bin and used a tractor with a vacuum system to suck the grain out of the bin. ______________________________________________________________________________ 11/21/14-Grain bin engulfment proves fatal for Laurel Nelson (52), of Grantsburg, WI. Laurel was a long-term employee at Burnett Dairy Cooperative in Alpha for over 30 years. _____________________________________________________________________________ 11/19/14 – Larry Mitchell (57 year old) farmer was rescued from a soybean bin near Waterford, Mississippi. Responders had to cut into the bin to lower the grain level. The rescue took nearly (5) hours. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11/09/14 – A 30 year old hired man died in a Harvestore silo near a farm in Dresden, N.Y. This may have been a Harvestore converted to handle shelled corn. Need more info. In any case, the man was fatally injured when he went into silo with unloader still running, to shovel corn to center. It appears the sweep auger hit him, as he fell it caught his shirt and pulled him in. He was found by co-workers, laying at unloader opening with his clothes ripped off and right arm amputated. _____________________________________________________________________________ 11/06/14 – Mike Miller, 58 year old farmer, died in a grain bin near Valley Falls, KS. ____________________________________________________________________________ 9/27/14 – Tragically, Colby Williams ( just turned 5 yrs. old) died when the child “fell into a grain cart” full of wheat at a farm outside of Washington, N.C. Colby was on top of the grain cart when farm workers began loading wheat into it. He sunk into the grain and ended up suffocating. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9/16/14 – A man was rescued from a grain bin in Wilkin County near Brushvale, MN. The corn bin was part of the operation at Brushvale Seed. ______________________________________________________________________________ 9/11/14 – This incident is not reflected in numbers above, since it involved a Canadian. This 44 year old man was fatally injured on Thursday (9/11/14) and ultimately died on Sunday (9/14/14). The man was a farmhand from Keeseekoowenin First Nation. He was in the box of a grain truck that was unloading on a farm near Sandy Lake, Manitoba. ______________________________________________________________________________ 09/09/14 – Man escaped serious injury after being trapped in a (5,000 – 6,000 bu.) corn bin south of Newton, IA. Property owned by David L. Peters. Crews from four area fire departments (Newton, Kellogg, Monroe, & Reasnor) were on hand for four hours. Responders used a cofferdam to stabilize the victim. Responders ended up cutting (4) holes into the bin and the victim was eventually able to exit the side entry door. ____________________________________________________________________________ 08/24/14 –Man hospitalized after being entrapped in a corn bin in Lenoir County, N.C. The incident happened at J.C. Howard Grain Co. By the time the rescue crews arrived, the man was no longer entangled in the auger, but he was still in the grain bin. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 08/05/14 – Tim Hansen (60), a prominent Laurel, NE. businessman & former fire chief died after becoming trapped in a grain bin in Dixon County, NE. He went into the 60,000 bu. corn bin to unplug it , while his son was waiting outside. 08/04/14 – Crews rescued a farmer trapped in a on-farm grain bin near Switz City, IN. Bill White, 81, became entrapped in grain in a bin on White Farms, south of Worthington, IN. His sons managed to free him after being entrapped for over 40 minutes in Greene County. ____________________________________________________________________________ 07/26/14 – Farmer (Marvin Grenz) dies in grain bin accident near Bismarck, N.D. He was in the grain bin poling the grain to get it lose, when his son found him partially buried and the grandson called 9-1-1. This was the 2nd. grain bin death near Napoleon, N.D. in (6) months. 07/18/14 - Ron Eisenman, 62, died in a corn bin after 6:30 PM near Britt, IA., (about 85 miles North of Ames). ________________________________________________________________________ 07/16/14 - Man rescued from Newark, IL. grain bin ( approx. 25 miles west of Joliet.) The man’s leg was stuck in an auger. This was largely an “Entanglement” incident. Employee entered the bin, while the auger was running and he stepped into the first intermediate discharge sump hole. He was very fortunate that the screw auger (NOT sweep) only broke ankle & leg bones. ______________________________________________________________________________ 07/14/14 – Nine-Year-Old boy died in grain bin near Lancaster, IA. The auger inside a small 7-8,000 bushel grain bin was stuck and inoperable. The boy and several family members were trying to fix the auger when the boy became trapped inside the grain bin, which was only about half full. ______________________________________________________________________________ 7/14/14 – BNSF employee in Kansas City, KS. died after falling into a rail car full of grain in the rail-yard, while the grain was being transferred from the rail car into a semi-truck trailer. ______________________________________________________________________________ 07/07/14 – Crews rescue farmer stuck in ON-Farm grain bin for 4 hours in Greene County, Arkansa. The farm bin was only 14 feet high and crews cut into the bin to slowly release the grain without pulling the farmer deeper. ____________________________________________________________________________ 06/16/14 – Farm employee killed in corn bin near Washburn, N.D. Corneilius Johannes DuPlessis, 27, from South Africa was working at the Doepke Farm about 5 miles (S.W.) of Washburn. He was sucked into the corn during the unloading process. He had only worked at the farm for 5-6 weeks. His body was sent back to South Africa to his mother. ____________________________________________________________________________ 06/12 14 – Lewiston, MN. firefighters rescued a farmer stuck in a corn bin for 3 hours. John Daley, 80, was buried up to his shoulders. A hole was eventually cut into the bin allowing responders to free up his foot from the grating. ______________________________________________________________________________ 05/27/14 – Man rescued from a 25 foot corn bin on a farm near Canaan, S.C. ______________________________________________________________________________ 05 / 06 / 14 – Fire completely destroyed an ON_FARM grain bin in Beloit, IL. _____________________________________________________________________________ 05 / 05 / 14 – Fire-fighters rescued a man trapped in an ON-FARM grain bin in Canandaigua, N.Y., which is located about 220 miles – S.E. of Rochester in the Western part of N.Y. The man managed to make a quick cell phone call that saved his life. He made the call while trapped up to his armpits in corn. A truck driver outside the bin managed to shut the power off to the grain auger. A short (18) minutes elapsed between the call being made and the actual rescue. ______________________________________________________________________ 05 / 05 / 14 – Leon Madey, 72, died in a family grain bin trying to dislodge corn by himself. The farm is located in Genoa, IL., which is about 60 miles N.W. of Chicago. He entered the bin himself when other family members were gone. Fire crews had to cut holes into the bin in an effort to locate him around 4:15 PM that afternoon. 05 / 01 / 14 – This incident is not reflected in numbers above,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Deadly Risk of Grain Suffocation
    The Deadly Risk of Grain Suffocation Grain farmers and their families may face deadly hazards this spring when working with grain bins. At least nine farmers recently suffocated to death in stored grain after being buried alive. A particularly wet Fall coupled with a large crop means that grain may be stored wet and may be stored longer than is typical. Moisture can cause the grain to cake or crust at the surface (frequently termed bridging). Bridged grain is extremely hazardous because it prevents grain flow and hides underlying pockets in the grain. Farmers walking on the bridged surface or attempting to break up the bridged material have fallen through the surface and become engulfed in grain. Farm workers may also be buried by stored grain while the grain is being emptied from the bottom of the bin. Much like quicksand, the flowing grain can pull the worker completely into the bin. The force created by the unloading grain is so great that once a person is waist deep in the grain, he or she is unlikely to be able to escape, even with the aid of a safety rope. Typical unloading rates will bury a person in less than a minute. Another serious hazard may occur if grain cakes along the bin walls. When workers try to break the caked material loose from below the level of grain, large sections of grain may break off, burying them below. The risk of suffocation increases if grain spoils, because it gives off carbon dioxide, which may displace the oxygen in the bin.
    [Show full text]
  • Buried Alive – Grain Suffocation Hazards
    BURIED ALIVE GRAIN SUFFOCATION HAZARDS WSI North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance 1600 E Century Ave Ste 1 PO Box 5585 Bismarck ND 58506-5585 (701) 328-3800 1-800-777-5033 This publication is produced by the Loss Prevention Education Unit and the Communications Department of Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) with contributing writers noted. Photo credit: Lisa Gerving, Connie M. Johnson, Zach Knoop, and Comstock Images. June 2002; Edited and Reprinted June 2006 Disclaimer Although the information and recommendations contained in this publication have been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, WSI makes no guarantee as to, and assumes no responsibility for, the correctness, sufficiency, or completeness of such information or recommendations. Other or additional safety measures may be required under particular circumstances. Contents Suffocation Hazards in Grain Bins ...................................................... 3 Grain Bin Rescue Procedures ............................................................ 10 Don’t Go With the Flow .....................................................................11 Handle Your Grain Harvest With Care .............................................. 12 Lockout/Tagout: An Essential Safety Procedure ............................... 14 OSHA Regulations: Entry Into Grain Storage Structures .............................................. 16 Grain Handling Safety on the Web .................................................... 19 Video Resource Library ....................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Summary of US Agricultural Confined Space-Related
    March 12, 2020 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2019 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities Yuan-Hsin Cheng, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Research Assistant Mahmoud Nour, M.S., Research Assistant Bill Field, Ed.D., Professor Kingsly Ambrose, Ph.D., Associate Professor Edward Sheldon, M.S., Research Associate Agricultural Safety and Health Program Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Highlights The following are highlights from the 2019 findings. • No fewer than 67 fatal and non-fatal cases involving all types of agricultural confined spaces were documented in 2019, representing a 9.8% increase over 2018. • There were 38 grain entrapments in 2019 representing a 26.7% increase over 2018. • 56.7% of all cases documented involved grain-related entrapments as compared to other cases involving falls, entanglements, and asphyxiations in all types of agricultural confined spaces. • All documented cases were male. • 58.2% (39) of 2019 cases were fatal compared to 61% historically. • Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska reported the most cases in 2019. Historically, Iowa, Indiana, and Minnesota have recorded the most agricultural confined space cases. • Minnesota reported the most grain-entrapment cases in 2019. Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois have recorded the most grain entrapment cases over time. • Eight cases in 2019 involved a youth under the age of 21, of which five involved manure handling or storage. • OSHA Region 5 and 7 have historically accounted for 68.4% of all documented agricultural confined space-related incidents. • The number of agricultural confined space-related fatalities documented exceeded the number of mining-related fatalities in 2019 (39 versus 24).
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Grain Entrapments on the Increase
    A disturbing trend U.S. Grain Entrapments on the Increase Matt Roberts and Bill Field © Nancy Louie/istockphoto.com urdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health 29.2 recorded entrapments per year to 18.8 (the lowest since Program has been documenting grain entrapment 1987). However, since 2002, the five-year average has cases since 1978. These cases include fatal engulf- increased steadily to 28.4 incidents per year in 2008 and 31.2 Pments as well as partial entrapments that required in 2009—an increase of nearly 66 percent. assistance in order for the victim to be extricated. In addition, As in past years, it should be noted that this summary nearly 800 fatal and non-fatal grain entrapment cases have does not reflect all grain-related entrapments, fatal or non- been documented and entered into a national grain entrap- fatal, that have occurred, due to the lack of a comprehensive ment database, with the earliest case dating back to 1964. reporting system and a continued reluctance on the part of This article summarizes the reported grain entrapment cases some victims and employers to report partial entrapments documented during 2009, with some observations concerning where extrication was required but no public report was the increasing frequency of these events. made. Based on the ratio of non-fatal to fatal incidents docu- By the numbers Based on the cases documented to date, no fewer than 38 grain entrapments occurred in 2009. This is the highest recorded number since 1993, when 42 were documented. The 2009 total also exceeds the 33 and 34 cases documented during 2007 and 2008, respectively (fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Steinzor Lawreview 10.12
    W04_STEINZOR.DOCX (DO NOT DELETE) 10/27/2012 2:51 PM THE AGE OF GREED AND THE SABOTAGE OF REGULATION Rena Steinzor INTRODUCTION The congressional debate over whether the government engages in ruinous “overregulation” is only occasionally coherent. Sometimes it is downright bizarre, and never is it for the faint of heart. The intensely disturbing dynamic between grandstanding, conservative Representatives and hypersensitive, anxiety-ridden White House operatives has evolved to the point that it threatens the central premise of the administrative state: that expert-driven, science-based, and pluralistic rulemaking is a far preferable way to implement statutes than the alternatives. When the alternative is policy making that responds on a hair trigger to self-interested demands by politicians driven by potential electoral backlash, the rational, albeit ponderous, traditions of the administrative state seem overwhelmingly more desirable. Consider the recent case of children paid to work on farms and other agricultural facilities. In the context of a series of gruesome incidents involving teenagers as young as fourteen who were smothered in grain elevators1 or lost legs to giant augers used to Rena Steinzor is a professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and the president of the Center for Progressive Reform (www.progressivereform.org), a voluntary association of some fifty-six (primarily legal) academics who work on issues involving the protection of public health, worker and consumer safety, and the environment within the Executive and Judicial Branches. She thanks Mary Miller, an expert in child labor protections at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, for excellent advice on the issues addressed here; Mollie Rosenzweig, Allan Thorson, and Jessica Laws for outstanding research (Ms.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary of Prior Grain Entrapment Rescue Strategies
    Summary of Prior Grain Entrapment Rescue Strategies M. J. Roberts, G. R. Deboy, W. E. Field, D. E. Maier* ABSTRACT. Entrapment in flowable agricultural material continues to be a relevant problem facing both farmers and employees of commercial grain storage and han- dling operations. While considerable work has been done previously on the causes of entrapment in grain and possible preventative measures, there is little research on the efficacy of current first response or extrication techniques. With the recent introduc- tion of new grain rescue equipment and training programs, it was determined that the need exists to document and summarize prior grain rescue strategies with a view to develop evidence-based recommendations that would enhance the efficacy of the tech- niques used and reduce the risks to both victims and first responders. Utilizing the Purdue University Agricultural Entrapment Database, all data were queried for in- formation related to extrication of victims from grain entrapments documented over the period 1964-2006. Also analyzed were data from other sources, including public records related to entrapments and information from onsite investigations. Significant findings of this study include the following: (1) between 1964 and 2006, the number of entrapments averaged 16 per year, with the frequency increasing over the last decade; (2) of all cases documented, about 45% resulted in fatality; (3) no less than 44% of entrapments occurred in shelled corn; (4) fatality was the result in 82% of cases where victims were submerged
    [Show full text]
  • Grain Entrapment
    IOWA FACE Hazard Alert October 2011 Prevent fatalities from grain entrapment Across the Midwest, record-size harvests, domestic demand for corn and ethanol, and increases in grain storage capacity have resulted in more grain storage than ever before. With increases 2010 U.S. Grain Entrapment Facts in grain storage and longer storage periods, the potential for grain to go out-of-condition . Suffocation from entrapment is the increases. There is a direct relationship between leading cause of death in grain bins. out-of-condition, or spoiled grain, and the risk for grain entrapment. More entrapment incidents were recorded in 2010 than ever before. Out-of-condition, crusted or frozen grain can . The primary cause leading to form a horizontal “bridge” over a hollow area entrapment was entering a bin to loosen below. While bridged grain appears to be an crusted, spoiled, or frozen grain while intact surface, it is rarely hard enough to unloading equipment was running. support a person. There is little chance of . Over half of engulfment incidents survival if you are in a bin walking on the grain resulted in fatalities. surface when the crust breaks or a grain unloader is operating. 69% of entrapments occurred on farms; 31% occurred at commercial facilities. A person standing on crusted grain can fall . The age of entrapped victims ranged through to the air space below and be covered from 7 to 81. in grain that caves in on them, or be pulled down through the grain in a matter of seconds . 5 of 6 entrapment cases involving youth when unloading equipment is running.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary of Grain Entrapments
    March 2017 2016 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities Salah Issa, M.S.E., Graduate Research Assistant Yuan-Hsin Cheng, Graduate Research Assistant Bill Field, Ed.D., Professor Agricultural Safety and Health Program Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Introduction This publication represents continued efforts by Purdue’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program to gain a better understanding of injuries and fatalities that occur inside agricultural confined spaces, including grain storage and handling facilities. The purpose of these efforts is to contribute towards the reduction in the frequency and severity of these incidents. This summary is based on data gathered, documented and entered into Purdue’s Agricultural Confined Space Incident Database (PACSID). Partial support for this year’s surveillance effort was provided by The Grain Journal (www.grainnet.com). No fewer than 60 fatal and non-fatal cases were documented in 2016. Of these, 30 (50%) were fatal and 29 (48%) of those cases were directly related to grain entrapments. In addition to the cases documented in 2016, cases that occurred in previous years continue to be added to the database due to ongoing discovery efforts. The total number of cases1 documented between 1962 and 2016 and entered in the PACSID is 1,935. Of those, 1,187 cases (61%) were reported as fatal and 1,432 (74%) involved grain storage and handling facilities. As noted in past summaries, the data presented do not account for all incidents involving agricultural confined spaces. There is no accumulative public record of these incidents due to the fact that there is no comprehensive or mandatory incident/injury reporting systems for most of agriculture; in addition, there has been reluctance on the part of some victims and employers to report non-fatal incidents, especially at farms, feedlots and seed processing operations.
    [Show full text]
  • Extraction Force Prediction for Male Entrapment Victims with Different Body Types Submerged Below the Grain Surface
    Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering 2019 Extraction Force Prediction for Male Entrapment Victims with Different Body Types Submerged below the Grain Surface Charles V. Schwab Iowa State University, [email protected] Lauren E. Schwab Iowa State University, [email protected] Pamela J. Schwab Civil Software Design LLC Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_pubs Part of the Agriculture Commons, Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons, and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons The complete bibliographic information for this item can be found at https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ abe_eng_pubs/1113. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Extraction Force Prediction for Male Entrapment Victims with Different Body Types Submerged below the Grain Surface Abstract One contributor to agriculture‘s high death rate is confined space fatalities caused by entrapment in grain. Over 1,000 grain-related fatalities have been documented by researchers in 43 states, and states with the largest grain storage capacities have been shown to experience a proportionally larger number of suffocation fatalities. Several researchers have measured extraction forces in specific conditions, but a reference standard is needed for estimating the extraction forces for grain suffocation victims in common conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Current On-Farm Storage Systems and Safety Practices
    Understanding Current On-Farm Storage Systems and Safety Practices of Ohio Cash Grain Operators THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Yang Geng Graduate Program in Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering The Ohio State University 2016 Master's Examination Committee: S. Dee Jepsen, PhD, advisor Yebo Li PhD Copyright by Yang Geng 2016 Abstract Hazards associated with agricultural confined spaces are a contributing factor to agricultural injuries, and are quickly becoming a significant problem for Ohio farmers. In order to make substantial improvements, we must first understand how the industry operates, the culture of the workers, and the current practices used to avert casualties. This research project was designed to bridge the gap between what is currently known about the risks that exist on Ohio’s farms, specifically in the cash grain industry, and how safety and health information is conveyed to the workforce. Using a 4-part questionnaire, cash grain operators were surveyed to determine the type of storage and drying facilities used on Ohio’s farms, the presence of moldy and out-of-condition grain, and the health and safety factors practiced around these facilities. Understanding the current situation on Ohio cash grain facilities will allow for a more targeted intervention plan to occur, both in regards to implementing better engineering controls as well as outreach education. ii Dedication This work is dedicated to my mother Wei Zhang and My father Changhuai Geng for their support, patience and encouragement. iii Acknowledgment Without the support and guidance from the following people, this project and the report that describes my efforts would not have been possible.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Summary of U.S. Agricultural and Confined-Space Related
    Mar 2021 2020 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities Yuan-Hsin Cheng, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Research Assistant Mahmoud Nour, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Researcher Bill Field, Ed.D., Professor Kingsly Ambrose, Associate Professor Edward Sheldon, Research Associate Agricultural Safety and Health Program Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Highlights The following are highlights from the 2020 findings: • No fewer than 64 fatal and non-fatal cases involving agricultural confined spaces were documented in 2020, representing a 4.5% decrease over 2019 • There were no fewer than 35 grain related entrapments in 2020 representing a 7.9% decrease over 2019, with the balance involving entanglements and falls • Three incidents involved more than 1 victim • Three incidents involved manure storage pits or lagoons • Nine incidents involved grain dust explosions • Three female cases were documented in 2020, two of which involved falls from storage structures • 50% (32) of 2020 cases were fatal compared to 61% historically • Illinois reported the most cases in 2020 (17), which was more than double the next two highest reporting states, Minnesota and North Dakota • Illinois also reported the most grain-entrapment cases in 2020 (10). Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois have historically recorded the most grain entrapment cases • Six cases in 2020 involved a youth under the age of 21, none of which involved grain entrapment and one involved manure handling or storage • OSHA Region 5 and 7 have historically accounted for nearly 70% of all documented agricultural confined space-related incidents • The number of agricultural confined space-related fatalities documented exceeded the number of reported mining-related fatalities in 2020 (35 versus 29) Page 1 Mar 2021 Introduction Since the 1970’s, Purdue University’s Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department has been documenting and investigating incidents involving grain storage and handling facilities at both commercial and on-farm locations.
    [Show full text]
  • USDA IG Investigating MFP Payments
    February 12, 2020 Volume 16, Number 6 USDA IG investigating MFP payments The Agriculture Department’s inspector general is undertaking an extended investigation of the administration’s trade assistance programs, starting with whether USDA had the proper legal authority to make direct payments to farmers. The investigation also will evaluate the design of the Market Facilitation Program as well as questions about eligibility and treatment of producers, Inspector General Phyllis Fong told the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday. She said auditors also would be selecting a sample of producers for review of their payments. The Trump administration is spending $28 billion under the 2018 and 2019 programs, mostly for direct MFP payments to producers using Section 5 of its Commodity Credit Corp. authority. “We are very aware of the large dollars there,” Fong told lawmakers. “It is a priority for our office.” Democrats on the panel criticized the way the programs were crafted, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., demanded to know why Fong’s office hadn’t moved more quickly to investigate them. “Your delay in dealing with this means this program is going to continue to move in the direction it has been moving,” said DeLauro, a leading candidate to chair the USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong full Appropriations Committee in the next Congress should Democrats retain control of the House. “They can employ the same waste, fraud and abuse which is ongoing right now in this program, and you are not doing anything about it,” said DeLauro. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has told farmers not to expect another round of MFP payments for 2020 crops but has not ruled it out.
    [Show full text]