Farm Bureau: EPA Proposal Threatens Food Security
An Environmental Protection Agency proposal to expand the amount of data collected at large animal farms not only exceeds the agency’s authority under the Clean Water Act, it creates “intense security, safety and privacy concerns” for farmers and ranchers, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. According to the terms of a settlement agreement with environmentalists, EPA is...
Read MoreEPA Posts Forthcoming CAFO Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency has posted the text of its forthcoming National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Reporting Rule. The rule would require CAFOs to report a wide range of details about their operations to EPA. This comes in response to a court settlement agreement reached with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Waterkeeper Alliance...
Read MoreFlaming Gorge Project Gets Cash
The Colorado Water Conservation Board has approved a $72,000 allocation to study the impacts of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline project being pushed by investor Aaron Million. The six-month study will explore the legal, cost and environmental aspects of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline concept — and $100,000 more if the first study finds the project to be promising. A poll commissioned by the...
Read MoreCountry in ‘Exceptional Drought’
Officials with the National Drought Mitigation Center report that 12 percent of the United States experienced “exceptional” drought in July, the highest recorded level since the center began documenting drought conditions 12 years ago. In a report released Monday, the center said 40 percent of the states faced abnormal dryness or drought. Hardest hit is Texas, which is battling its...
Read MoreHouse Passes Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act
AFBF is applauding the bipartisan passage in the House Wednesday of the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (H.R. 2018). The bill, approved in a 239-184 vote, would restore the balance between the states and the Environmental Protection Agency in regard to regulating the nation’s waters. H.R. 2018 limits EPA’s ability to arbitrarily issue revised or new water quality standards if a state...
Read MoreColorado Receives Watershed Protection Funds
Ranchers dealing with the effects of the heavy spring runoff this year may get a little extra help from the federal government. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $3 million in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program funds to five western states where record mountain snowpack presents a potential flood risk. The five NRCS...
Read MoreLegislative Tracking 2013
