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Spotlight
The spotlight focuses on news, rules and regulations, resource materials and grants related to agriculture in Region 4.
News
Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative
- EPA Regions 4 and 3 recently signed the Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative, a Memorandum of Agreement with Perdue Farms Incorporated. The Initiative will help approximately 1,650 independent contract poultry producers growing for Perdue improve their compliance with federal, state and local environmental regulations.
- Perdue will also implement Environmental Management Systems at their poultry processing facilities.
2009 AgSTAR National Conference -
- The 2009 AgStar National Conference was held on February 24-25, 2009, in Baltimore, Maryland; the presentations are available.
- The AgSTAR Program is a voluntary effort jointly sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program encourages the use of methane recovery (biogas) technologies at the confined animal feeding operations that manage manure as liquids or slurries. These technologies reduce methane emissions while achieving other environmental benefits.
- The AgStar program and Region 4 are working with the dairy industry and other partners in Florida to support an anaerobic digestion pilot project.
Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities (FRRCC) Federal Advisory Committee
- The FRRCC Advisory Committee meeting was held on February 23-24, 2009, in Washington, D.C.
- The 30-member committee is part of EPA's efforts to expand cooperative working relationships with the agriculture industry and others who are interested in agricultural issues and to achieve greater progress in environmental protection. The FRRCC members are divided into three workgroups and provide input to the Administrator on the following issues: energy and climate change, livestock and poultry and emerging issues.
- The next FRRCC Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for August 26-28, 2009.
Rules and Regulations
- Agriculture Regulatory Matrix
(outlines major existing EPA laws and programs that could affect agriculture producers) - Regulations for Animal Feeding Operations for Water Programs
- 2008 Final Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Rule -
EPA has finalized a rule helping to protect the nation's water quality by requiring concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to safely manage manure. - Regulations for Animal Feeding Operations for Air Programs
- With EPA oversight, researchers from eight universities will take part in the air emissions monitoring study to measure levels of hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter, ammonia, nitrous oxide volatile organic compounds and other gases from 25 livestock facilities across the nation. Four swine operations and one layer facility are located in Region 4 states. After data analysis, the emission estimating methodologies will be published. Participants will have 120 days to comply with any applicable requirements.
- Under the Proposed Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule, owners and operators of facilities that contain manure management systems and that emit at least 25,000 metric tons of GHGs per year would report emissions from all source categories located at the facility for which emission calculation methods are defined in the rule. Owners or operators would collect emissions data; calculate GHG emissions; and follow the specified procedures for quality assurance, missing data, recordkeeping and reporting.
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Requirements
- Administrative Reporting Exemption for Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Animal Waste at Farms - this final rule provides an administrative reporting exemption from particular notification requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended.
- In addition, this final rule provides a limited administrative reporting exemption in certain cases from requirements under EPCRA.
Resource Materials
- Agriculture: National Information
- A Farmer's Guide to Agriculture and Water Quality Issues
- Extension Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Centers
- Small Farms Fact Sheets
Grants
- The National Clean Diesel Campaign and Regional Diesel Collaboratives are very excited to be announcing Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the competitive portion of the $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA.) The full announcement on funding opportunities is listed below. We have a direct link on our website, www.southeastdiesel.org, to the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program announcement, which details information for EPA Region 4 / Southeast Diesel Collaborative grant competition applications. The closing date for this announcement is APRIL 28. Now that the RFAs have been posted, all EPA Regions must follow Agency competition procedures and answer questions in a manner that makes the information available to everyone. To that end, and during the entire open period, EPA will only accept questions in writing sent to the EPA Clean Diesel mailbox: www.cleandiesel@epa.gov.