Latham Amendment Protects Farmers From High Costs

Press Release

Latham Amendment Protects Farmers From High Costs

Iowa Congressman Tom Latham offered an amendment approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee Thursday night that, if enacted into law, will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing a rule requiring farmers to report greenhouse gas emissions from manure management systems, a proposal that would drive up input costs for farmers while providing no tangible environmental benefits.

The EPA proposal was authorized in a one-sentence provision slipped into the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill that directed the agency to develop and publish a rule requiring mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions in sectors throughout the economy. That one-sentence authorization produced the 285-page rule that proposed the new federal mandate for farmers.

Unveiled in March, the proposed regulation would require animal operations to report emissions from manure management systems, potentially saddling farmers with the high costs associated with monitoring the emissions.

"The EPA proposal will force another significant expense on farmers without doing a thing to improve the environment," Congressman Latham said. "The industry can't afford another big boost in input costs at a time when pork and cattle markets are already struggling."

Congressman Latham's amendment, which passed by a 31-27 vote by the full House Appropriations Committee, forbids the use of federal funds to implement the rule, effectively derailing the proposal. The amendment was added to an appropriations bill that now awaits the approval of the full House and U.S. Senate before it can become law.

The EPA had estimated that the emissions ruling would affect between 40 and 50 of the largest livestock operations in the country, but agriculture organizations have disputed those numbers. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has estimated that the rule would impact up to 130 cattle facilities, without taking into account pork and poultry operations. The Iowa Farm Bureau estimates the ruling could impact 26 poultry plants in Iowa alone.

Producers have also questioned the EPA's claim that the rule would cost each affected facility $900 to implement. The price of equipment to measure methane can cost as much as $15,000 and requires trained personnel to operate and maintain.

"This rule would do serious harm to a critical sector of the economy," Congressman Latham said. "The cost and scope is in serious question, and agriculture can't afford another federal mandate that will drive up input costs in this economy."

Congressman Latham said large animal operations must take seriously their duty to protect the environment, but he noted that the EPA proposal contains no mechanism to improve manure management practices.

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