Waste from cattle

on march 5, the Environmental Protection Agency ( epa ) of the us announced a plan for regulating large livestock farms just like any other waste producing industry. This would require farmers to obtain permits and have inspections at their farms. The release of manure into rivers and streams will also have to be monitored. It will take about seven years to get the draft of the bill fully implemented across the us . The regulations would apply to the entire agricultural sector, which is responsible for producing large amount of wastes that are exempt from the existing pollution controls applicable to other sector like municipal sewage treatment plants.

Waste products from livestock, like dung, is commonly used as manure. This sometimes ends up in rivers and groundwater through spills or run-off from fields saturated with waste. The plan includes a proposal for farms to obtain permits to produce waste and develop plans to dispose it off properly. Any farm sustaining more than 1,000 "units" of livestock has to obtain the permit from the epa (one epa unit equals 1,000 cattle, 2,500 pigs or 100,000 laying hens.

Some agricultural trade groups think that enforcing the regulations will result in unnecessary and costly government interference. Mark Jenner, economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, Chicago, said that the regulations would increase the cost of foods in the supermarkets. Other groups, however, have welcomed the proposed regulations.

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