ChimpCo EPA Won't RequireLarge CAFOs To Report On Air Pollution; Also, Manure NOT Hazardous Waste

[hatrack]

Washington, D.C. — The Bush administration is taking steps to protect big livestock farms from federal Superfund laws.

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to exempt farms from having to report emissions of ammonia and other air pollutants and also spell out that manure is not a hazardous waste when it is used properly as a fertilizer, said Jon Scholl, the EPA’s agriculture adviser. “We’re trying to give clarity to producers,” Scholl said Tuesday after outlining the agency’s plans at an industry meeting.

The livestock industry has been unsuccessfully pushing Congress to make similar changes. Environmentalists argue that they would protect farms from being held accountable for pollution. Farms can face fines of up $25,000 a day for violating the reporting requirement.

The exemption EPA is considering “would eliminate a paperwork burden on our producers,” said Eldon McAfee, legal counsel to the Iowa Pork Producers Association.


EDIT

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/BUSINESS/70320020/1029

[phantom power]

1. When used properly, ketchup is a vegetable.

[YankeyMCC]

2. Unbelievable

:banghead:

[jwirr]

3. I grew up on an Iowa farm. I got to ride on the horse driven manure

spreader as the manure was put on farm ground and pastures as fertilizer. My grandmother also used it in her garden compost pile. I think it makes a difference what kind of manure you are talking about - human vs animal - and how you are using it. In the compost pile it was allowed to decompose and on the fields it was widely spread out to decompose on its own.

Today the difference is that many farms collect it in holding ponds that cause runoff and stink to high heavens. This is especially true of hog farms and large cattle farms.

[phantom power]

4. industrial scale and concentrations seem to be the key factors.

[jwirr]

5. Yes, that is what I thought. Large producers should be regulated

as they are polluting ground water if nothing else. Downstream the drinking water is not safe.