Legislation Introduced To Exempt Farm Waste From Superfund
News Date March 12, 2007
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are pushing legislation in the House and Senate to clarify a hazardous waste law that unintentionally impacts farmers and ranchers. "The Agricultural Protection and Prosperity Act of 2007" was introduced by Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) in the Senate, and by House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Ralph Hall (D-Texas) in the House.
The legislation would clarify that livestock manure, which many agricultural producers use in their traditional farming practices, is not classified as a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant under CERCLA (The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act), otherwise known as the "Superfund law." There have been several lawsuits across the country recently that have sought to regulate agricultural waste under Superfund. If normal animal manure is found to be a hazardous substance under Superfund law, then virtually every farm operation in the country could be potentially exposed to liabilities and penalties under the Superfund law, an outcome Congress never intended. NASDA and a coalition of agriculture organizations strongly support the legislation and will continue efforts to pass the bills during this session. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)