7.8 Air Quality

Air quality is an increasingly important issue for agriculture. Agriculture has always had some impact on air quality, whether through wind erosion and fugitive dust emissions, odors or smoke. Conversely, the quality of the atmosphere can affect plant and animal production. Federal, state and local regulatory agencies have been examining, and in some cases, regulating certain emissions from agricultural operations. Some of these are among EPA’s six "criteria pollutants" which are regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the Clean Air Act, and for which specific, measurable threshold values have been established. EPA is required to review scientific studies associated with "criteria pollutants" every 5 years. One of the criteria pollutants related to agriculture is particulate matter (PM) which includes dust. Other criteria pollutants include ozone precursors (emissions that lead to formation of ozone, i.e. volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and oxides of nitrogen. There is significant debate over agriculture’s contribution.

NASDA believes more study is needed. Very little science exists for agriculture related air quality issues. NASDA supports dust control measures, but does not believe agricultural dust should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. There is no scientific evidence.

NASDA believes more information and better technology is needed to fully address current and future agricultural air quality issues which are increasingly complex. USDA’s NRCS is engaged in this process by developing information resources, providing technical assistance and training, and developing or implementing appropriate air quality technologies that will ultimately assist landowners and producers in making wise management decisions.

Practices to improve air quality include conservation tillage, residue management, wind breaks, road treatments, burn management, manure management, integrated pest management, chemical storage, etc. NASDA encourages these and other conservation activities. Addressing air quality concerns is an area of increasing emphasis in USDA’s conservation programs, including EQIP, CSP which provide incentive payments for actions that benefit air quality, including improving viability, reducing ozone levels, reducing transport of fine and course particulate matter, reducing potential for airborne agricultural chemicals, etc.

NASDA believes EPA and USDA should develop partnerships with state agriculture departments to address these issues in a voluntary, incentive-based way because this will have better success.

Burning woody biomass for energy in highly efficient combustion systems such as boilers is preferable to emissions from wildfire and open burning of woody debris piles. It also supports utilization of waste wood, is a renewable form of energy, and helps local economies by keeping energy dollars local.

Climate Change

United States agriculture has a very momentous and meaningful challenge in regards to climate change. Greenhouse gases are crucial for plant, water, and atmospheric ecosystems, which all greatly affect our lives. Each region of the world will have different reactions to change in climates, and decisions regarding laws and enforcement of said laws need to be carried out by state and local governments.

NASDA recognizes that a cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could increase fuel, fertilizer, and utility costs in the agricultural sector, and it could possibly lead to regulated production methods and practices. At the same time, agriculture could also benefit from opportunities for producers to voluntarily moderate their GHG emissions through carbon sequestration in soils as well as in methane and fertilizer management. In any national policy on climate change, agricultural offsets should be eligible.

NASDA opposes mandatory restrictions on agriculture including mandatory methane restrictions under the Clean Air Act and restrictions on farming practices and farm machinery. NASDA also opposes a carbon tax. We support additional funding for USDA for carbon program implementation and agricultural sequestration research. NASDA believes the federal government needs to increase its effort to improve the scientific understanding of global climate change and how states can adapt to changing climatic conditions. The research should include potential impacts of climate change, including impacts on federal, state, and local infrastructure as well as impacts to natural systems at the local and regional scale, while keeping an economic balance.

American agriculture can continue to contribute to GHG emissions reductions through biofuels production, thus offering a clean supply of domestically produced energy. Climate discussions can lead to the development of a practical, voluntary carbon-trading system that includes access to the carbon market for agriculture and carbon sequestration for forestry.

Furthermore, NASDA supports Congressional actions to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the Clean Air Act (CAA).  NASDA prefers that Congress address this issue so as to ensure that agricultural concerns will be considered.  Absent Congressional action, any regulatory activities related to GHG emissions must be done via a deliberative and transparent process that includes all agricultural stakeholders including state departments of agriculture and USDA.

Carbon Emissions Cap and Trade System

NASDA supports a national carbon emission cap and trade system to offset non-farm greenhouse gas emissions and which allows the agriculture sector to receive credits for greenhouse gas reductions. Such a system should include provisions for standardized, cost-effective protocols for estimating greenhouse gas emission reductions from agriculture. NASDA also urges continuation and expansion of the Chicago Climate Exchange or other similar markets to provide financial compensation to farmers and ranchers for environmentally sound practices.

Promotion of conservation practices which accure carbon in the soil as well as protect water quality should occur.