News
EPA ruling clarifies emissions reporting for CAFOs
January 20, 2009 by Livestock & Poultry Envrionmental Learning Center
NEWS HIGHLIGHT
EPA ruling clarifies emissions reporting for CAFOs
Large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) will need to report air emissions under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) effective Jan. 20, 2009.
January 20, 2009 – Large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) will need to report air emissions under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) effective today.
On December 18, 2008, the U.S. EPA published a final rule that clarified which livestock facilities must report air emissions from their facilities. The two laws of interest in this are the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and EPCRA.
Animal agriculture was granted an administrative exemption from reporting air emissions that normally occur from raising farm animals under CERCLA. Additionally, farms that are not large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) – according to NPDES permitting rules – are exempt from reporting under EPCRA. Previous drafts of the rule had essentially created a complete exemption for reporting air emissions from animal agriculture, so this rule came as a complete surprise to many producers, industry representatives, and those who advise producers.
The rule is effective on January 20, 2009. Large CAFOs (over 700 dairy cows, 125,000 broilers, 82,000 layers [30,000 if wet manure system] or 2500 swine over 55 lb) may face increasing liability for non-compliance following this date.
The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center Air Quality team has assembled information about this rule including determining responsibility, estimating emissions, and making a report. It can be found here: http://www.extension.org/page /Large_Animal_Feeding_Operations_May_Need_to_Meet_Air_Emissions_Reporting_Requirements .
If you are aware of additional resources that should be posted, please send them LPELC project coordinator, Jill Heemstra at jheemstra@unl.edu.
