Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Statement by Scott Yager, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association environmental counsel on the Congressional passage of The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, which includes a provision to provide regulatory relief for farms from the EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule for farms.
“Cattle producers applaud Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Rep. Rick Crawford’s, R-Ark., leadership championing this issue and getting the regulatory relief farmers and ranchers need from yet another unnecessary EPA overregulation. The SPCC regulations were originally designed for major oil refineries but were expanded to include agricultural producers by regulating on-farm oil storage. The provision included in the WIIN Act provides additional flexibility for storing oil containers on individual parcels of land and a complete exemption for animal feed additives, including tallow and grease. These commonsense exemptions will protect many cattle producers from the undue burden and cost of developing, and complying with, an SPCC plan. This relief is a well-deserved victory for agriculture at the end of the 115th Congress.”