This presentation from the Beef Facilities Conference focused on air quality regulations and what it might mean regarding the research project. You can find a paper in pages 10-17 of the written proceedings published by Iowa State University.
What Are the Relevant Air Regulations?
The federal air quality regulations that may apply to animal feeding operations include:
- EPCRA – Environmental Planning and Community Right to Know Act
- CERCLA – Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act or “Superfund” (not discussed in detail because EPA has determined animal operations are exempt)
- Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule More…
- Clean Air Act More…
- State and local regulations
- Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)
What Does the Research Project On Bedded Beef Barns Show?
It is difficult to draw broad conclusions on the air emissions from a single study and in the absence of guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The emissions of hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and particulates are likely to be below most regulatory threshholds for worker health or reporting. Ammonia is the one area where daily emissions from a system could reach amounts requiring reporting under EPCRA for large operations.
Acknowledgements
Presenter: Rick Stowell, University of Nebraska rstowell2@unl.edu
This page was developed as a part of the Mono-Slope Air Quality Research project funded by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2010-85112-20510 awarded to South Dakota State University, USDA ARS U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Iowa State University, and University of Nebraska – Lincoln from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information about the research study, contact Erin Cortus erin.cortus@sdstate.edu or Mindy Spiehs mindy.spiehs@ars.usda.gov. For more about the outreach and extension, contact Beth Doran doranb@iastate.edu. 