The EPA has rejected two petitions seeking stricter regulation of animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and will be establishing a federal advisory committee to study the matter.
“America’s pig farmers applaud the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Biden administration’s denial of two baseless petitions seeking dramatic changes to long-standing and well-designed regulatory systems to protect the environment and provide affordable food for the world,” says Scott Hays, NPPC president and Missouri pork producer.
The EPA plans to form a federal advisory subcommittee in 2024, with the process projected to take 12 to 18 months, according to a letter sent to the environmental groups that petitioned EPA in 2017.
“Farmers work hard every day to adopt climate-smart farming practices by promoting soil health, conserving water, using nutrients efficiently and caring for our animals,” Hay says. “We are grateful for the Biden administration’s continuous commitment and support of agriculture.”
The 2022 petition filed by numerous state-level clean water advocacy groups as well as Humane Society of the United States, Friends of the Earth, Earthjustice and more, asked the EPA to adopt a presumption that large CAFOs using wet manure management systems discharge pollutants.
“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) appreciates the EPA recognizing that America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to ensuring clean water and investing in a sustainable future,” NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart, said in a statement.
The 2017 petition filed by Food and Water Watch, Center for Food Safety and others asked the agency to change CAFO regulations to assume a number of things. In April, the EPA committed to answering the 2017 petition. In January 2023, the agency announced a plan to determine ways of strengthening the Clean Water Act in its effluent limitation guidelines, in response to a 2021 lawsuit.
Another lawsuit filed in 2022 was stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The environmental groups agreed to drop that lawsuit by Aug. 29, if EPA responded by Aug. 15.
“We look forward to working cooperatively with EPA and all stakeholders as we continue to work to preserve and protect our farms and lands for future generations,” Hays adds.
