Latest News From EPA

EPA hosted its fifth WOTUS roundtable last week with the Kansas Livestock Association, revealing murky waters in the WOTUS definition.

The White House is considering waiving U.S. gasoline environmental rules aimed at reducing summertime smog, hoping the waiver will combat rising pump prices, Reuters reported.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan hints at a major uptick in renewable fuel blending obligations to be announced on June 3rd, as ethanol production is stunted by railway inefficiencies.

The White House is considering temporarily removing restrictions on summer sales of higher-ethanol gasoline blends as a way to lower fuel costs for U.S. consumers, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

As gasoline prices climbed this year, is it policy or other factors that fueled the rise? John Phipps covers the topic in U.S. Farm Report's Customer Support.

The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are seeking comment on the pre-2015 WOTUS rule published in the Federal Register.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday ordered his administration to find ways to ensure people are protected from extreme heat, including through work-related rules and other cooling efforts.

EPA announced it's creating a durable definition of WOTUS by reverting back to the pre-Obama era rule as a framework. EPA is encouraging farmers and ranchers to weigh in during a series of public meetings in August.

“I like to say you’re going to have to have a permit to do normal farming decisions,” he told Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk.

One Nebraska hog producer has been flooded multiple times this year due to a wet spring. He even had to travel by boat to take care of his hogs. We have an update of where he is now.

Agencies will implement the pre-2015 regulations.

A farmer and a farm worker are on probation after applying liquid manure onto a field that resulted in runoff into a nearby stream. The farm was fined $50,000.

"Ditch the rule" is being replaced by "clean water, clear rules."

Former USDA Sec. Mike Johanns says the U.S. must continually look for even small trade opportunities and take advantage of them.

EPA on Tuesday unveiled a new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) definition under the Clean Water Act designed to provide a clearer picture of what waters are and are not regulated by the federal government.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule change that would make it clear air emissions reporting for animal waste is not required for livestock operations under current regulations.

Iowa was not one of the original plaintiffs fighting WOTUS, but a ruling Tuesday allows the state to join the fray. “The EPA’s WOTUS Rule imposes unnecessary burdens on Iowans,” Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg said.

The trade war is on. Pro Farmer Washington Analyst Jim Wiesemeyer looks at what it will take to declare truce in the trade battle.

A federal district court ruling has effectively suspended the 2015 Waters Of The U.S. (WOTUS) rule in 11 more states, bringing the total to 24 states.

On Tuesday a coalition of ethanol supporters filed a lawsuit against the EPA over Renewable Fuel Standard obligation waiver exemptions.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking fire from both sides of the aisle as major agricultural issues linger.

Embattled Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt was on Capitol Hill Thursday defending not only the administration’s work but his ethics.

Senator Joni Ernst wants to move agencies out of Washington D.C. and into the country where constituents are located.

A new study from the Iowa State University Center for Agriculture and Rural Development shows a cap on Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) would dramatically reduce ethanol use.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with four federal partners launched the next phase of a technology-accelerating water quality challenge calling for demonstrated use of nutrient pollution sensors.

The Fair Agricultural Reporting Method, or FARM Act, was introduced on Tuesday by Deb Fischer (R-Neb). It is being supported by other key Senators, including Pat Roberts (R-Kan).

The National Pork Producers Council has asked Congress for a legislative fix to a federal emergency response law that requires farmers to report emissions from the natural breakdown of manure to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Science community worries about censorship, as EPA pulls scientists from speaking about climate change.

President's grades are mixed on four major agricultural issues, says ag policy expert.

Excessive livestock manure from millions of turkeys, chickens and cows in Virginia is making its way into the Shenandoah River, polluting the scenic waterway with unsafe levels of E. coli, according to a new report from an environmental advocacy group.

 A judge is giving two federal agencies more time to assess the environmental impact of a northern Arkansas hog farm in the Buffalo National River watershed.

A state lawmaker is facing up to $177,500 in fines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for discharging waste from his northwestern Tennessee hog farm without a permit.  

With North Carolina’s renewable energy mandate under assault from legislators, green groups seeking to save it have found an unlikely ally: the state’s hog industry.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to investigate whether lenient regulation by North Carolina's environmental agency of industrial hog operations harmed minority neighbors.

From Washington state to North Carolina, federal lawsuits are challenging the livestock industry to change its ways.

A coalition of environmental, animal rights and citizen action groups filed two lawsuits Wednesday alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is failing to address air pollution problems from large-scale livestock farms.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should set limits on ammonia output and other pollutants from large-scale chicken, hog and livestock facilities, a coalition of advocacy groups said in a lawsuit accusing the agency of failing to use its authority to curb harmful emissions.

After years of struggling to keep drinking water for almost 500,000 residents in Des Moines and its surrounding areas clear of contaminants largely from upstream farms, the Des Moines Water Works board says it plans to sue three counties.

A new study by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists says environmental regulations have helped small hog farms stay in business by slowing the growth of larger confinements.

Officials have put another temporary hold on new permits for hog farms near the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.

A central Indiana farmer faces a lawsuit from neighbors who want to block plans for a facility where some 2,000 hogs would be raised.

A complaint filed with the federal government says North Carolina's regulation of hog farms causes problems for minority residents.

Minnesota-based food processor Cargill said Monday that it has no plan to shutter or relocate an Arkansas hog farm, despite concerns from environmentalists who say the operation poses a pollution threat to the nearby Buffalo River.

Three Iowa farm trade groups have formed an organization called the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance to push farmers harder on the implementation of farm practices designed to clean Iowa's water.

The Iowa commission that oversees water quality approved increased inspections for livestock farms on Tuesday over the raucous protests of environmentalists who wanted much tougher rules.

For candidates in the Midwest, almost nothing tops a photo opportunity with a barnyard animal or a colorful anecdote about life on the farm.

As 2014 sets up to be a profitable year for pork producers, constant environmental management, animal welfare pressures and looming federal regulations bring uncertainty to today’s modern production systems.

Manure spills can occur during the storage, transportation and application of manure. Advanced planning can minimize the impacts of a manure-related emergency.

Court rules components of EPA criteria for Florida nutrient standards as arbitrary and capricious.

Legislation would prevent the EPA and the courts from imposing Superfund regulation on U.S. agriculture.