Air Emission Reporting Requirement For Livestock Operations

Overview

Amidst all of the news recently about tax proposals in the Congress and the attention that has garnered, there is another important date that is creeping up on many livestock producers.  Unless an extension is granted, on November 15, a reporting rule administered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be triggered that will apply to certain livestock operations.  The reporting applies to certain “releases” of “hazardous” substances and the requirement that the government be notified. 

Background

The federal government has been involved in regulating air emissions for over 50 years.  The first serious effort at the national level concerning air quality was passage of the 1963 Clean Air Act (CAA) amendments.  This legislation authorized the then Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now Department of Health and Human Services) to intervene directly when air pollution threatened the public “health or welfare” and the state was unable to control the problem.

The 1970 CAA amendments represented a major step forward at the federal level in terms of regulating the activities contributing to air pollution.  This legislation created air quality control regions and made the individual states responsible for sustaining air quality in those regions.  The states could regulate existing sources of pollution with less restrictive requirements. See, e.g., State, ex rel. Cooper v. Tennessee Valley Authority, et al., 615 F.3d 291 (4th Cir. 2010).  

Additional federal Specifically, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), the federal government is to be notified when large quantities of hazardous materials are released into the environment. Once notified, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discretion to take remedial actions or order further monitoring or investigation of the situation.

Recent Developments

On January 21, 2005, the EPA announced the Air Quality Compliance Consent Agreement to facilitate the development of scientifically credible methodologies for estimating emissions from animal feeding operations (AFOs).  A key part of the agreement is a two-year benchmark study of the air emissions from livestock and poultry operations.  The study was designed to gather data relative to the thresholds of the CAA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), and set national air policies so that excessive levels could be regulated.  Under both CERCLA and EPCRA, the federal government is to be notified when large quantities of hazardous materials are released into the environment. Once notified, the EPA has discretion to take remedial actions or order further monitoring or investigation of the situation.

In mid-2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the EPA’s ability to enter into the consent agreements with participating AFOs.  Association of Irritated Residents v. EPA, 494 F.3d 1027 (D.C. Cir. 2007).   Community and environmental groups had challenged the consent agreements as rules disguised as enforcement actions, that the EPA had not followed proper procedures for rulemaking and that EPA had exceeded its statutory authority by entering into the agreements.  The court disagreed, holding that the consent agreements did not constitute rules, but were enforcement actions within EPA’s statutory authority that the court could not review.

In early 2009, EPA, pursuant to the EPCRA, issued a final regulation regarding the reporting of emissions from confined AFO’s – termed a “CAFO.”  The rule applies to facilities that confine more than 1,000 beef cattle, 700 mature dairy cows, 1,000 veal calves, 2,500 swine (each weighing 55 pounds or more), 10,000 swine (each weighing less than 55 pounds), 500 horses and 10,000 sheep.  The rule requires these facilities to report ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions to state and local emergency response officials if the facility emits 100 pounds or more of either substance during a 24-hour period.

2008 Regulations and Court Case

In late 2008, the EPA issued a final regulation exempting farms from the reporting/notification requirement of CERCLA (Sec. 103) for air releases from animal waste on the basis that a federal response would most often be impractical and unlikely. However, the EPA retained the reporting/notification requirement for CAFOs under the EPCRA’s public disclosure rule. Various environmental activist groups challenged the exemption in the final regulation on the basis that the EPA acted outside of its delegated authority to create the exemption. Agricultural groups claimed that the carve-out for CAFOs was also impermissible, but for a different reason.

The environmental groups claimed that emissions of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide (both hazardous substances under CERCLA) should be reported as part of furthering the overall regulatory objective. The court noted that there was no clear way to best measure the release of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, but noted that continuous releases are subject to annual notice requirements. The court held that the EPA’s final regulation should be vacated as an unreasonable interpretation of the de minimis exception in the statute. As such, the challenge brought by the agriculture groups to the CAFO carve out was mooted and dismissed. Waterkeeper Alliance, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, No. 09-1017, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 6174 (D.C. Cir. Apr. 11, 2017).

The court set a deadline for the beginning of the reporting of releases, but the EPA sought an extension.  In response, the court extended the date by which farms must begin reporting releases of ammonia and hydrogen to November 15, 2017.  The reporting requirement will have direct application to larger livestock operations with air emissions that house beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, hogs and poultry.   It is estimated that approximately 60,000 to 100,000 livestock and poultry operations will be subject to the reporting requirement.

EPA Interim Guidance

On October 26, 2017, the EPA issued interim guidance designed to educate livestock operations about the upcoming reporting requirements for emissions from animal waste. 

Under the guidance, the EPA notes that the reportable quantity for each of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide is triggered at a release into the air of 100 pounds or more within a 24-hour period.  That level would be reached by a facility with approximately 330-head (for a confinement facility) according to a calculator used by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln which is based on emissions produced by the commingling of solid manure and urine.  If that level of emission occurs for either substance, the owner (or operator) of the “facility” must inform the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center (NRC) of any individual release by calling (800) 424-8802.  Unless changed at the last minute, this reporting must be done by November 15, 2017.  In addition, a written report must also be filed with the regional EPA office within 30 days of the NRC reporting.     

If releases will be “continuous and stable,” “continuous release reporting” is available by filing an “initial continuous release notification” to the NRC and the regional office of the EPA.  Once that is done, reporting is only required annually unless the facility’s air emissions change significantly. However, unless an extension is granted, the initial “continuous release” notification is to be filed on or before November 15, 2017.

While air emissions occurring from the crop application of manure or federally registered pesticides are not subject to reporting, spills and accidents that involve manure (other fertilizers) and pesticides must be reported if they are over applicable thresholds.  

The EPA Guidance also indicates that reporting does not apply under the EPCRA to air emissions from substances that are used in “routine agricultural operations.”  Those substances, according to the EPA don’t meet the definition of “hazardous.”  “Routine agricultural operations,” EPA states, includes “regular and routine” operations at farms AFOs, nurseries and other horticultural and aquacultural operations.  That would include, EPA notes, on-farm manure storage used as fertilizer, paint for maintaining farm equipment, fuel used to operate farm machinery or heat farm buildings, and chemicals for growing and breeding fish.  It would also appear to include livestock ranches where cattle are grazed on grass. A similar conclusion could be reached as to the term “facility” – a “facility” under CERCLA should not include a cow/calf grass operation where the livestock graze on grass.  However, at the present time, the EPA has not provided any official guidance concerning the issue.  

There doesn’t appear to be any harm in reporting when it is not clearly required.  In other words, while the land application of livestock manure would appear to fall under the “fertilizer” exemption and not be included in the definition of “facility” a producer could still report such emissions.  While grass operations could also report to be on the side of caution, the reportable emission level (if it were to apply to a grass operation) will be triggered at a higher head count of livestock because commingled solid waste and urine will not be present.   

Conclusion

Recently, the EPA filed a motion with the court to push the November 15 deadline back.  Also, on November 9, 2017, the National Pork Producers Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association filed an amicus brief in support of the EPA’s motion. They are asking the court to give the EPA more time to “provide farmers more specific and final guidance before they must estimate and report emissions.”  In addition, the EPA notes that getting additional time will allow to finalize a reporting system.  

Whenever the reporting requirement becomes effective, either November 15 or sometime later if the court grants an extension, it will be important for livestock producers to comply.  For now, livestock producers should study the EPA interim guidance.  That guidance is available here:  https://www.epa.gov/epcra/cercla-and-epcra-reporting-requirements-air-releases-hazardous-substances-animal-waste-farms#Resources.  If reportable quantities of emissions will occur, the compliance deadline and proper reporting in a timely manner is very important so that applicable fines are avoided.  It is also suggested the livestock producers look for guidance from their state and national livestock associations.