US Seeks to Control Air Pollution at Factory Farms
Date: 23-Aug-06
Country: US
Author: Tom Doggett
The agency said it has approved the final two agreements for feeding operations to voluntarily sign up to be part of the study to monitor their air emissions.
The agency said it has approved 2,568 such agreements, representing 1,856 swine, 468 dairy, 204 egg-laying and 40 broiler chicken operations at almost 6,300 farms. Feeding operations can include more than one farm. Beef cattle were excluded because they generally are raised out of doors.
The EPA said that within 18 months after the survey is finished it will evaluate all the data and publish the methods the feeding operations can use to estimate their emissions and comply with the appropriate federal regulations.
"This approach will achieve compliance with environmental laws much faster than any other enforcement mechanism," the agency said. Environmental groups have said the actual result will be to delay enforcement of air pollution rules on factory farms.
The EPA said it will not bring certain enforcement actions against participating feeding operations during the course of the monitoring survey.
However, once the agency publishes it emissions-estimating methodology, feeding operations that committed violations would have to pay penalties from US$200 to US$100,000 based the number of animals they maintain and then assure compliance with relevant federal clean air rules.
In the late 1990s, the EPA realized it did not have adequate air emissions data to determine how to regulate animal feeding operations under the Clean Air Act.
To close the gap, the agency began discussions with the owners of the feeding operations in 2001 and reached an agreement in January 2005 for the feeding facilities to voluntarily sign up for the monitoring survey by August 2005.