New bill on the hill: A bill was introduced in the House and Senate on September 25 that would use existing conservation funds to support producers in converting their already established concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to production systems deemed more climate-friendly.
Break it down: This is a grant program called the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act (IACA), which would be under the existing USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Funds would be available to producers with medium or large CAFOs who will convert their facilities and programs to either pasture-based livestock production or crop production.
This is the first standalone federal legislation to assist producers who want to transition away from intensive animal agriculture.
Driving force: The policymakers behind IACA say they support the bill to help producers find freedom in production agriculture and empower them to move away from what some deem “factory farms.”
Soundbite: “Corporate meatpackers use their market power to trap producers in the factory farm system with terrible profit margins and unsustainable debt. Their practices contribute to climate change and destroy rural communities. This legislation leverages conservation funding to give farmers a completely voluntary new path forward by providing them with the resources they need to transition to a more climate-friendly and humane production system that is good for people, animals, and the planet.” — Senator Cory Booker, (D-NJ)
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Congress to EPA: What’s Your BEEF with Meat Packers?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new regulations that take aim at meat and poultry processors.
And some members of Congress have a BEEF with the EPA’s proposals.
The proposed rules: In late January, the EPA released the details of its proposed “Clean Water Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point source category.”
Huh?
Basically, the EPA formally published its proposals to combat wastewater contaminants that come from slaughterhouses.
Okay… that makes more sense.
At the heart of the rules proposal is a concern from environmental groups about nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants that originate from slaughterhouses. In some cases, the wastewater goes directly into waterways. In other cases, the water goes to municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
But not everyone is on board with the EPA’s suggestions…
Congress responds: Last week, two U.S. representatives—Eric Burlison (MO) and Ron Estes (KS)—pushed back against the EPA and introduced the “Banning EPA’s Encroachment of Facilities (BEEF) Act.” If passed and signed by President Biden, the law would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the rule.
According to the lawmakers, the proposed rules place undue burden on small processors—costs that can be absorbed by larger companies.
Soundbite: “The… proposed regulation isn’t just an attack on family-run small businesses, it’s an attack on rural communities,” said Burlison. “These meat and poultry processors are the lifeblood of our communities. The BEEF Act… lets these hardworking Americans do what they do best, produce safe, affordable food for our families.”
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