EPA PROPOSES EXEMPTION FOR REPORTING LIVESTOCK WASTE EMISSIONS

News Date January 07, 2008

       The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 21 proposed a rule change to provide an administrative reporting exemption for air releases of hazardous substances, primarily ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, from animal waste at farms.
       Under Federal National Contingency Plan (NCP) regulations, farms and other facilities are required to report any releases of hazardous substances above an EPA-established level to the Coast Guard National Response Center and state and local emergency response authorities. EPA is proposing to eliminate these reports for air releases from animal waste at farms because it is unnecessary to respond to such reports.
       Administrative exemptions from particular notification requirements are authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). According to EPA, the proposed rule will enable response authorities to better focus their attention on hazardous substance releases that require emergency response while reducing reporting burdens on America's farms. Release notifications must still be made to emergency response authorities when  hazardous substances are released to the air from sources other than animal waste (e.g., ammonia tanks), as well as releases of hazardous substances to soil and water. More information on this proposed rule is available at http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/epcra/cercla_dec07.htm.  (Contact: Charlie Ingram)