Senate Bill Would Exempt Some Animal Waste from Superfund

A new Senate bill would exempt certain animal waste from Superfund regulation.

The proposed legislation would exempt manure, poultry litter and their nutrient components from liability and regulation by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency under Superfund laws. Introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), S. 1729 would also eliminate any reporting requirements under Superfund by livestock and poultry producers for manure emissions.

The senators said in a news release that the proposed legislation “would prevent the Obama Administration from imposing yet another needless and burdensome regulation on America’s food producers.”

In a letter to their colleagues the senators said, “Farmers and ranchers across the country continue to face increasing regulatory uncertainty, stemming from potential and proposed rules from the (EPA).

“We must make it clear to EPA and the courts that these producers were never intended by Congress to be liable under (Superfund) reporting laws.”