Why is EPA involved with agriculture?
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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.
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:
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) reporting requirements
- New Requirements for Controlling Manure, Wastewater from Large Animal Feeding Operations
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 |
(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 |