Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGLACE, 6/4/19


Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a final rule amending the emergency release notification regulations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The amendments clarify that air emissions reporting from animal waste at farms is not required under EPCRA.

“This action eliminates an onerous reporting requirement and allows emergency responders and farmers to focus on protecting the public and feeding the nation, not routine animal waste emissions,” said Wheeler.

On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act (FARM Act) which fixed a problem created in April 2017 when a U.S. Court of Appeals rejected a 2008 EPA rule that exempted farmers from reporting routine farm emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act

Both the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) praised the decision.

“Farmers, ranchers, and emergency response officials all agree: routine emissions from agricultural operations are not a threat to local communities,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston. “Congress made a common-sense decision to exempt livestock producers from frivolous reporting requirements at the federal level with its passage of the FARM Act, and we are glad to see EPA fully implement the law by providing relief from burdensome state and local reporting requirements.”

"Pork producers are very strong stewards of the environment and have taken many actions over the years to protect it,” said NPPC President David Herring. “We applaud President Trump for relieving America's farmers from filing these unnecessary reports."