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Spotlight
The spotlight focuses on news, rules and regulations, resource materials and grants related to agriculture in Region 4.
News
Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative
- EPA Regions 4 and 3 recently signed the Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative, a Memorandum of Agreement with Perdue Farms Incorporated. The Initiative will help approximately 1,650 independent contract poultry producers growing for Perdue improve their compliance with federal, state and local environmental regulations.
- Perdue will also implement Environmental Management Systems at their poultry processing facilities.
2009 AgSTAR National Conference -
- The 2009 AgStar National Conference was held on February 24-25, 2009, in Baltimore, Maryland; the presentations are available.
- The AgSTAR Program is a voluntary effort jointly sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program encourages the use of methane recovery (biogas) technologies at the confined animal feeding operations that manage manure as liquids or slurries. These technologies reduce methane emissions while achieving other environmental benefits.
- The AgStar program and Region 4 are working with the dairy industry and other partners in Florida to support an anaerobic digestion pilot project.
Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities (FRRCC) Federal Advisory Committee
- The FRRCC Advisory Committee will meet on August 25-27, 2009, in Sacramento, CA.
- The 30-member committee is part of EPA's efforts to expand cooperative working relationships with the agriculture industry and others who are interested in agricultural issues and to achieve greater progress in environmental protection. The FRRCC members are divided into three workgroups and provide input to the Administrator on the following issues: energy and climate change, livestock and poultry and emerging issues.
Rules and Regulations
- Agriculture Regulatory Matrix
(outlines major existing EPA laws and programs that could affect agriculture producers) - Regulations for Animal Feeding Operations for Water Programs
- 2008 Final Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Rule -
EPA has finalized a rule helping to protect the nation's water quality by requiring concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to safely manage manure. - Regulations for Animal Feeding Operations for Air Programs
- With EPA oversight, researchers from eight universities will take part in the air emissions monitoring study to measure levels of hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter, ammonia, nitrous oxide volatile organic compounds and other gases from 25 livestock facilities across the nation. Four swine operations and one layer facility are located in Region 4 states. After data analysis, the emission estimating methodologies will be published. Participants will have 120 days to comply with any applicable requirements.
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Requirements
- Administrative Reporting Exemption for Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Animal Waste at Farms - this final rule provides an administrative reporting exemption from particular notification requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended.
- In addition, this final rule provides a limited administrative reporting exemption in certain cases from requirements under EPCRA.
Resource Materials
- Agriculture: National Information
- A Farmer's Guide to Agriculture and Water Quality Issues
- Extension Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Centers
- Small Farms Fact Sheets
Grants
USDA REAP Renewable Energy
REAP renewable energy grants can provide up to 25 percent of eligible project costs, up to $500,000. Loan guarantees or grant and loan guarantee combinations are capped at 75 percent of eligible project costs. More details are available in the Federal Register at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-12178.pdf or on the USDA Web site http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/9006grant.htm.
Application materials may be obtained by contacting one of USDA Rural Development State Offices, which are listed at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html or by downloading at http://www.grants.gov. Applications are due on July 31, 2009.
Climate Showcase Communities
The Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Bill authorized EPA to administer a $10 million competitive grant program to assist local and tribal governments in establishing and implementing climate change initiatives. The overall goal of the Climate Showcase Communities grant program is to create replicable models of sustainable community action that generate cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions while improving the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a community.
Eligibility for the program includes local governments (e.g., a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments), federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and inter-tribal consortia.
Proposals are due by July 22, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. EDT. Grants are expected to be awarded in January 2010. To find out more about this grant opportunity, please go to: http://epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/state-and-local/showcase.html