Farmers and Ranchers Urged to
Comment on Air Quality Rule Making

EPA Revising Air Quality Standards Rules

 As a result of Clean Air Act litigation in the 1990’s, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing several revisions to standards, monitoring and implementation of particulate matter (PM) regulations. For agriculture in general, the regulation of “coarse” particulate matter (i.e., larger particles) is most critical because any potential rules could govern agricultural dust from any size or type of operation.

EPA recently extended the comment period until July 10, 2006, on whether they should establish a ruling at this time or wait until the development of tests to determine health effects from “coarse” particles.

South Dakota Farm Bureau Administrative Director Michael Held says that such a regulation would impose huge costs on farming and ranching operations without providing any proven public health benefit.  “Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers and ranchers to tell the EPA that the revised rule for air quality should not be established unless research based on sound science justifies a health-based standard,” said Held. 

Concerns have been raised about the validity, science and rationale for a “coarse” PM standard at this time.  Held adds that few, if any, agriculture operations could consistently comply with the current or proposed standards for controlling fugitive dust, which these measures are designed to control.  Fugitive dust is frequently associated with unpaved roads, construction sites, and agricultural fields.

EPA has had national air quality standards for fine particulars since 1997. While the Clean Air Act does not exclude agricultural emissions, EPA standards have not been specifically set or used to regulate agriculture at the federal level.  However, EPA is proposing to determine how best to revise its existing rules relating to particulate air emissions, and this could include agricultural emissions in the newly revised standards.

Comments must be submitted to EPA by July 10, 2006.  Comments may be E-mailed to: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov; or may be sent by fax at (202) 566-1741.  Interested individuals may also mail comments to:  Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460.

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