EPA wants to tax livestock emissions

[yeahYeah]

EPA’s consideration of a greenhouse gas rule to cover emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides, stems from a Supreme Court case decided in favor of environmentalists last year.

PA’s consideration of a greenhouse gas rule to cover emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides, stems from a Supreme Court case decided in favor of environmentalists last year.
The American Farm Bureau is strenuously opposing a U.S. EPA greenhouse gas proposal that would tax livestock producers for their animals’ emissions. AFB says it doesn’t even pass the smell test, let alone the straight face test. But EPA is considering steep fees based on animal emissions that Farm Bureau says would force many livestock producers out of business. American Farm Bureau lobbyist Rick Krause says it’s no laughing matter.

“We’ve already heard from one of President-elect Obama’s senior environmental advisers that they intend to take up this regulation early next year, when they come in, Krause said. “The only saving grace that I think that we might have, in stalling this, is the state of the economy.”

Krause says the clean air act covers any emitters of 100-tons or more of carbon-equivalent a year, forcing more than 90-percent of the U.S. dairy, beef and pork industry to get permits at an estimated cost of $175 a dairy cow, $87.50 for each head of beef cattle, and twenty dollars for each hog.
Krause told Hoosier Ag Today, “The permit doesn’t give you anything, other than the right to continue operating the way you have. It doesn’t give you anything new, in terms of any new privileges or any new rights to expand, or anything like that.”

Krause says EPA’s consideration of a greenhouse gas rule to cover emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides, stems from a Supreme Court case decided in favor of environmentalists last year. It parallels another case involving whether California should be able to regulate auto emissions for greenhouse gases.

Krause says if a livestock producer was making a profit or breaking even, that will change if the new regulation takes effect.

superb way to grow the economy and keep people working. such an act would send food prices skyrocketing and cost many jobs.

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by yeahYeah

EPA’s consideration of a greenhouse gas rule to cover emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides, stems from a Supreme Court case decided in favor of environmentalists last year.



superb way to grow the economy and keep people working. such an act would send food prices skyrocketing and cost many jobs.

They should tax livestock operations, particularly those huge CAFOs that are totally disgusting and cause tremendous pollution of ground water and air.

ANOTHER CAFO A COMIN’ - TO ALLEN COUNTY THAT IS
Posted by Charlotte A. Weybright on November 9, 2007

If you have followed my blog from its inception this past January, then you all know my intense dislike of these entities. They are simply large buildings which contain thousands of animals crammed into the spaces. The animals do not see the light of day - unless you count the windows (if there are any). The animals are fed hormones and antibiotics in addition to their daily ration of feed.

Well, get ready, another one is coming to Allen County. That makes a total of three to date if I have kept accurate account. Three may not sound like a lot of CAFOs, but Mr. Schuhler is increasing his “pig purgatory” from 900 pigs to close to 10,000 hogs. Each hog as it nears finishing weight is capable of producing close to 15 pounds of manure a day. Do the math - that is 15 x 9200 - not counting the 500 nursery pigs - or 138,000 pounds of manure a day - 50,370,00 pounds a year. Fifty million plus pounds of manure a year. Think about it, and,

IT HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE, FOLKS.

The Google image following the public notice shows that the facility is located in southern Allen County southeast of the airport. What should be of major concern to the citizens of Allen County is its location near Snyder Ditch.

Liquid manure is stored beneath these giant confinement cages and is then hauled out to fields to be distributed onto the fields by a flying spray from a quaintly named vehicle - a honey wagon. The proximity of some of the fields next to the ditch means that runoff will occur into the waters of the ditch and, ultimately, into one of our larger river resources - the St. Marys River as it flows through southeastern Allen County. The St. Marys already has a higher than acceptable level of e. coli, and adding more to the river will further increase that level.

I would urge any concerned citizens to start contacting IDEM to express your concerns about the CAFO.

What irritates me in addition to CAFOs themselves is the idea that in order to view this document one has to make an “appointment” at IDEM in Indianapolis to see the plan proposed by Mr. Schuhler. I will be contacting IDEM to see if the document will be available here at an Allen County office for viewing. I will also be calling on the zoning board and the plan commission to see if they have a role in this environmental hazard.

***

J.Q.

I hope to receive the info this week, so as soon as I get it, maybe I will be able to answer some of your questions.

Mr. Park, the individual at IDEM whom I spoke to, said Schuhler was going to use injection as the method of disposing of the manure. I haven’t been able to track down any others involved yet. I checked the Indiana corporate filings and didn’t see anything as far as an incorporation.

A number of these operations are owned and operated by individuals from the Netherlands. Stephen Vander Hoff, a Michigan CAFO operator, has formed a company called Vreba-Hoff Development Authority to help relocate Dutch operators here to the Tri-State area of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. In 2006, the Vander Hoffs had 6,000 cows producing as much waste as a city of at least 138,000 people.

Many choose the tri-state region because of its affordable land, access to water, favorable climate, and simpler regulations. Farmers have been moving here from the Netherlands for a few years, in part because environmental laws in the European Union have become so stiff.

While I am waiting on my info,I am going to do some more research on the area and Snyder Ditch.

ANOTHER CAFO A COMIN’ - TO ALLEN COUNTY THAT IS Berry Street Beacon


There's tons more stuff out there about these operations. How would you like to live near one? You would never be able to breathe air that didn't smell like manure.

[Pharmakon]

What a tyrannical notion. To tax people per head of cattle. Just more oppressive taxation(creative too). Oppressive to the cattle industry and to the individuals involved in it.

[deerslayer]

As someone in animal science, I'd have to call BS on this one because of the economic cost to small-time farmers and larger operations alike. Like Prop 8, another bad idea for agriculture.

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by deerslayer

As someone in animal science, I'd have to call BS on this one because of the economic cost to small-time farmers and larger operations alike. Like Prop 8, another bad idea for agriculture.

I think those intense, large-scale feeding operations are disgusting. I would be happy if they all went out of business!

[deerslayer]

Have fun finding protein-based food, because those large-scale operations have become the basis of animal agriculture in America.

[yeahYeah]

Originally Posted by Pharmakon

What a tyrannical notion. To tax people per head of cattle. Just more oppressive taxation(creative too). Oppressive to the cattle industry and to the individuals involved in it.

it's all to please the tree huggers. our govt. is bought and paid for by these groups.

[deerslayer]

Besides, just conferred with my brother, who has a master's in ansci- the methane argument is bunk, because while cows produce methane, it goes through a cycle- just like the ATP cycle or water or what have you.

Unjust to animal agriculture, economically detrimental in the long run, and largely unfounded scientifically.

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by deerslayer

Have fun finding protein-based food, because those large-scale operations have become the basis of animal agriculture in America.

We should find another way. Again, those operations are disgusting. People probably would never eat meat again if they saw the way those animals were treated.

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by deerslayer

Besides, just conferred with my brother, who has a master's in ansci- the methane argument is bunk, because while cows produce methane, it goes through a cycle- just like the ATP cycle or water or what have you.

Unjust to animal agriculture, economically detrimental in the long run, and largely unfounded scientifically.

Sorry, I think your mom might have misunderstood. Ruminant animals produce methane into the environment from eating - especially low quality feed. Farms are starting to use the methane produced from their cows to create energy to power their farms.