Home
>
Political
>
Does Your Farm Stink? The EPA Wants to Find Out

Does Your Farm Stink? The EPA Wants to Find Out

Farmers will eventually be facing federal regulations involving air emissions produced on their farms, that may touch on everything from spreading manure, to the exhaust fan at the barn. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its construction of the Air Quality Compliance Agreement.

According to the EPA website, its primary goals are to reduce air pollution, monitor animal feeding operation emissions, and to develop a national consensus on the methodologies for collecting and sampling emissions at the farm level. This new compliance agreement will have a bite, with the ability to levy some hefty fines. Some of the regulatory acts for which EPA will be seeking compliance are the Clean Air Act and the Right to Know Act, according to the EPA website.

A two-year planning period is being laid out, at which time volunteer feeding operations can sign up for emissions testing, at the price of $200, and allow air testing on their farms in order to set the base line standard. Ammonia is one of the biggest concerns, but many other emissions, including hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are being tested as well. Complaints from neighbors about manure spreading and other unpleasant aromas from farm operations appears to be raising a stink, according to the Penn State website at http://nutrient.psu. edu/.

Much of the information available to the public is still undergoing transformation in wording and timeline. As with any government regulations, they tend to be very dynamic. The next two years of field testing will have significant impact on final wording. At present, the farmer-to-EPA agreement is a 41-page document, which can be viewed on the EPA website under "air quality". Stiff penalties ranging from $200 to $100,000 are presently being considered.

There was nothing we could find in our search to indicate that this agreement is limited to a particular size operation, nor that it applies only to confinement operations. It is rather open-ended, and leads one to believe that sooner or later all feed operations will be targeted for inspection. We are betting that the stinky ones are first, with the ones having complaints from city neighbors and disgruntled employees running a close second.

There are a couple hundred webpages devoted to this topic, and suggests that many sources will be inspected with regard to air quality. Any barn or structure that houses livestock, and any manure storage facility on the farm are primary targets for emissions testing with this program.

So, what does all of this mean to feeding operations in our area? Perhaps it is too early to be sure, but we're willing to stick our neck out and make some projections. First of all, operators should make themselves aware of current EPA regulations with regard to the Air Quality Compliance Agreement. One can be certain that more information is forthcoming.

No one wants to argue that clean air isn't important. It would be difficult to even argue that farms don't emit some rank odors once in awhile. For some operations, the odors may be present all year. Scientific data supports that high concentrations of certain farm emissions, and/or prolonged exposure to the same, can cause greater health risks. Pressure from surrounding communities has likely spurred these latest developments.

It will be years before the hot air of Washington wafts its way to every little feeding operation, but it will eventually come. Operators will be responsible for more testing, more paperwork, and more compliance. "Air permits" are discussed in the website as a possibility.

Operators will bear the burden of some of the costs, which are not likely to show up in increased farm revenue. With U.S. food prices being extremely stable and relatively inexpensive, the U.S. farmer has historically increased herd size in order to cash flow his/her operation. Air quality standards may reverse that trend, and in time create a reduction in overall meat and poultry supply, and perhaps help the pricing at the farm level.

But in the interim, expect more paperwork, a few seminars, and more government interest in the air emissions of your farm.

ALL of us want clean water, and clean air. This act will offer protection to those who can readily comply, and be a misery to some who cannot. For the consumer, the good news is certainly in better quality living environment for people and livestock. The bad news is that strict air quality regulations may cause the down-sizing or elimination of some herds, and on a national scale could have a negative impact on food supplies and pricing. According to the EPA, technological advances in filtering air emissions from barns and manure storages may serve as an aid to farm operations. Several prototypes are in the testing phase.

Tom Clouser is a 38 year old farmer in Pennsylvania. In addition to farming, he and his father publish a monthly 16-page newspaper called "Trees 'n' Turf", which targets subjects of interest to those in land use industries and activities. View their website at http://www.clouserfarm.net

pet-friendly home cleaners Des Plaines ...

In The News:

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tesla vehicles manufactured since mid-2021 with AMD Ryzen processors can now access Grok 4, xAI's witty conversational assistant designed to make drives more engaging.

Understand how technology affects mental health through five concepts, including blue light exposure, screen time management and algorithmic bias.

Electric vehicle maker Lucid adds hands-free driving through an over-the-air update for Air sedan owners with the DreamDrive Pro package and Gravity SUV support coming later.

Does Your Farm Stink? The EPA Wants to Find Out

Political