Why is EPA involved with agriculture?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is committed to protecting the Nation’s food, water, land and air for generations to come. These are goals that are important to American farmers, as well.

EPA Regions 4 and 3 announced their participation in Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative on January 6, 2009. The initiative is an agreement with Perdue Farms, Inc., to work collectively to help protect our nation's waters.

Photo of Mr. Thornton and EPA Region 4 employees

An Alabama rancher (left) received recognition for the Best Management Practices he implemented on his ranch in the Cotaco Creek Watershed

EPA Region 4's Regional Strategy for Agriculture (PDF) (13 pp, 220K, About PDF) provides coordination with EPA’s National Strategy for Agriculture. The Region 4 strategy summarizes the Region’s priority activities related to agriculture and describes the Region’s approach for working in cooperation and collaboration with agricultural interests to:

reduce any adverse impacts from agricultural activities on the environment
improve communications with agricultural interests regarding policies, rules, requirements, and programs, and
increase the Region’s understanding of agricultural perspectives on environmental issues.

Agriculture is a vital part of the economy, culture, and history of the Southeast. Farmers and ranchers provide food, feed, fiber, and some fuel using plants, animals and their by-products. Statistics for Region 4 compiled from the U.S. Department of Agriculture 2007 Census of Agriculture show that:

The region had 429,341 farms on more than 78 million acres.
The average farm size was 190 acres.
The combined market value of agriculture products solds (including crops, nursery, greenhouse and livestock) sales in 2007 grossed over $44 billion, for an average of $103,178 in market value per farm.

Region 4’s Commitment to Work with Agriculture

EPA Region 4’s vision is to work with agricultural interests, other federal agencies, states, tribes, and others to achieve continual environmental improvement and promote the sustainable and economically viable production of safe, abundant supplies of food, fiber, and energy products.

EPA recently approved two new rules that impact agriculture operations:

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Agriculture Contacts

Issue/Program	Person	Telephone
Agriculture Policy and Agriculture Issues	Denise Tennessee (tennessee.denise@epa.gov)	404-562-8460
Agriculture - Water Issues	Duane Robertson (robertson.duane@epa.gov)	404-562-9398
Air Quality - Diesel Emission Reduction	Alan Powell (powell.alan@epa.gov)	404-562-9045
Air Quality - Monitoring/Airborne Nutrients	Sara Waterson (waterson.sara@epa.gov)	404-562-9061
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Enforcement	Don Joe (joe.don@epa.gov)	404-562-9761
CAFO Permitting	Sam Sampath (sampath.sam@epa.gov)	404-562-9229
Non-point Source Pollution Control	Thomas McGill (mcgill.thomas@epa.gov)	404-562-9243
Pesticides	Lora Lee Schroeder (schroeder.lora@epa.gov)	404-562-9015
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)	Thornell Cheeks (cheeks.thornell@epa.gov)	404-562-8479

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Why is EPA involved with agriculture?

National Agriculture Information

Region 4’s Commitment to Work with Agriculture

Agriculture Contacts

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