The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Air Quality Task Force will hold a meeting August 30-31 in Harrisburg to discuss current issues facing agriculture and the potential impacts to air quality from agricultural operations.

The meeting will be held at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel, One North Second Street, Harrisburg. It is open to the public and USDA will allow each speaker up to five minutes for an oral presentation. Written comments also will be accepted.

The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force advises the Secretary of Agriculture on agricultural air quality issues. Its mandate is to strengthen and coordinate USDA's air quality research efforts and identify cost-effective ways to help the agriculture industry to improve air quality and meet federal and local air quality emissions requirements.

Producers, academics, industry representatives and other experts in agriculture and air quality comprise the task force. Representatives from various USDA agencies-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Forest Service, Economic Research Service, Agricultural Research Service and Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service-also participate on the task force.

For more information visit the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force webpage or contact Diane Gelburd, NRCS Designated Federal Officer at 202-720-2587 or send e-mail to: diane.gelburd@wdc.usda.gov .

8/18/2006