The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau this week applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to extend the period for comments and the time for farmers to sign up for the Air Quality Consent Agreement.

EPA agreed to extend the comment period until May 2 and the deadline to sign up for the Consent Agreement until July 1.

The Compliance Agreement is the result of discussions with large agricultural integrators in the swine and poultry industry. Dairy farmers, along with small and mid size swine and poultry farmers, were not part of the initial discussions. Farmers who voluntarily enter into the agreement must contribute up to $2,500 dollars per farm into a fund to conduct a nationwide emissions research program.

A participating farmer would also pay another $200 to $500 penalty, even though no research has been completed and no rules have been established to determine if a farm may be subjected to past violations and future oversight. Farmers who sign the Consent Agreement will be guaranteed they will not be fined under federal laws for any pollution that may have occurred in the past or during the agreement period, but it does not exclude them from future violations.

PFB also asked the EPA to reconsider specifics of the agreement as they relate to small and medium size producers. PFB is skeptical that data collected from other areas of the country will provide a sound scientific basis for the development of air emissions standards applied to Pennsylvania operations.

3/18/2005