Cattle Update: EPA Greenhouse Gas Registry Delayed
10/29/2009 01:33PM
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An amendment introduced by Iowa Congressman Tom Latham (R-District 4) to delay, for one year, any Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to require mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manure management systems recently passed.
The amendment was part of the House of Representatives’ Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Interior (DOI)/EPA appropriations bill (HR 2996).
A similar effort to get this amendment added to the Senate bill failed after Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) objected to its inclusion. Because the amendment was included in the House bill and not the Senate bill, it was up to a conference committee to decide if it would remain in the final bill.
Following the conference committee meeting, the amendment was included in the final package. This means that the Fiscal Year 2010 DOI/EPA appropriations bill includes two very important environmental provisions:
1. Amendment by Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) which provides a one-year delay in the implementation of any rule that requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from manure management systems.
2. Amendments by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) preventing EPA from implementing any regulation of greenhouse gas emission under Title V of the Clean Air Act. This has been referenced as the “cow tax.”
Since these amendments are part of an annual appropriations bill, they are only good for one year, but that gives another year (and the passage of mid-term elections) to fight these issues. This conference report now goes back to the House and Senate for a final vote. Conference reports are not amendable, so these provisions are safe and will remain in the bill that the President will sign into law.
ICA appreciates the Representatives that supported the amendments, and in a letter sent to Representative Latham, ICA specifically thanked him for his efforts and support in this matter, recognizing the negative economic impact this could put on producers in an already difficult time.
Source: Iowa Cattlemen's Association