Agricultural News
NCBA Brings Regulatory Relief Home for Producers with Storage Tanks on Their Farm or Ranch
Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:25:42 CST
One provision of the Water Infrastructure Improvement Needs for America Act, or WIIN Act, passed by Congress during the lame duck session, provides some relief for agriculture from the regulatory measures in the Environmental Protection Agency's Spill Prevention, Control and Counter measures rule (SPCC). Especially, as it provides flexibility for storing oil containers on farms and ranches. Colin Woodall, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, tells Farm Director Ron Hays this is good news for agriculture.
"This is an omnibus appropriations bill - it takes the old Water Resources Development Act and combines it with a couple of other water provisions," Woodall said, "to try to make some changes not only on drought and water management but also in regards to EPA, and that's where we were involved."
The particular provision Woodall alludes to actually protects cattlemen and agriculture in general from certain requirements under the EPA's SPCC regulations. He says those measures, originally put in place for refineries involved in large, commercial manufacturing of liquids, was never intended to be applied to agriculture, but unfortunately that is what has happened. To his credit though, Woodall and his colleagues were able to negotiate some wins for producers.
"In particular, we were able to get language in there that would make any sort of tank that holds tallows, fats, grease and feed additives exempt," Woodall said, "and these are tanks that are anywhere from 5 to 2,500 gallons.
"We are excited about this opportunity to provide some exemptions and also some protection for anybody that stores fuels or oils or feed additives on their farm or ranch."
Listen to Hays and Woodall talk more about NCBA's work to negotiate EPA exemptions on behalf of producers, on today's Beef Buzz.
To read more about the SPCC provision in a related article, click here.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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