EPA, USDA New CAFO Rule Provides More Conservation Opportunities For Cattle Producers

The new rule for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) will better protect the nation's water while protecting the viability of American farming, and provide new and additional conservation opportunities for cattlemen according to an announcement today by EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman.

Whitman, joined by Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, announced the final rule requiring all large CAFOs to obtain permits that will ensure they protect America's waters from wastewater and manure. But USDA is promising cattlemen assistance, and is fostering a cooperative partnership between the agriculture community and the EPA.

"The new rule is unique in that it comes after unprecedented cooperation between EPA and USDA to find a way to help producers meet their own and society's goals for environmental quality and profitability," said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.  "USDA stands ready to provide assistance in an incentive-based approach combining information and education, research and technology transfer, direct technical assistance and financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other farm bill programs."

According to USDA, to help livestock operations meet the rule's requirements, Congress increased funding for land and water conservation programs in the 2002 Farm Bill by $20.9 billion, bringing total funding for these programs to $51 billion over the next decade.  The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was authorized at $200 million in 2002 and will ultimately go up to $1.3 billion in 2007; 60 percent of those funds must go to livestock operations.

“Though we submitted comments, communicated concerns with Senators and Representatives, and attended public meetings, we anticipated that the new rule would affect many previously-exempt operations, so we worked particularly hard on the EQIP program to ensure funding would be available to assist producers in complying with new regulations,” says Bob Lee, cattle producer from Judith Gap, Mont., and chairman of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Property Rights and Environmental Management Committee.  “NCBA does not and will not defend anyone in the beef industry who acts to abuse natural resources.  We want to protect our waterways, but we also must work to maintain economically-viable operations.”