Chambliss co-sponsors Bipartisan measure to protect animal agriculture

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), ranking Republican Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has announced that he is co-sponsoring legislation with U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln (DArk.) and Pete Domenici (RN. M.) to ensure that common animal agriculture operations are not considered toxic waste sites. The bill, S. 807, would clarify that manure is not a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Environmental Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA).

"It's disturbing that some states and environmental groups are trying to apply federal toxic waste laws to normal, routine agricultural operations," said Sen. Chambliss. "Manure is not a toxic waste, and Congress never intended for toxic waste laws to apply to its routine production and use. This bill would protect farmers and ranchers from these novel lawsuits."

Continued uncertainty regarding the applicability of toxic waste laws to normal animal waste would cause a significant disincentive to invest in technologies that convert livestock waste into energy, such as methane digesters. It also could subject farmers and ranchers who either produce livestock or use animal waste as fertilizer to the strict and retroactive penalties required by CERCLA.

In addition, an impressive list of livestock and farm groups supports the legislation, including: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Meat Institute, CoBank, Dairy Farmers of America, Farm Credit Council, Fertilizer Institute, Horse Council, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and state farm organizations.