EPA TO EXEMPT FARMS FROM POLLUTION REPORTING
By Philip Brasher        Des Moines Register
March 20, 2007

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.  The issue stems from a federal  judge’s 2003 ruling reporting requirement applied to a group of  chicken farms operated under contract with Tyson Foods Inc.

Forcing farms to disclose what they are emitting would allow people  to know which pollutants are in the air. The information also could  prove embarrassing to farms and force them to make costly changes  to operations.