| EPA 'Cow Tax' Not Sitting Well With Farmers |
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| Written by Dave Loos | |
| Sunday, 30 November 2008 | |
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Cross-posted from EnviroWonk The answer: 200 hogs, 50 beef cattle or 25 dairy cattle. The question: How many of the above animals release enough methane each year through farting and burping so as to trigger a sizable per-animal fee under proposed Clean Air Act regulations aimed at stemming greenhouse gas emissions? The proposed EPA regulations, which President-elect Barack Obama's advisers have indicated the agency will move forward on, would require businesses to obtain permits in order to emit more than 100 tons of a pollutant per year. And yes, it only takes 25 gassy dairy cattle to hit that threshold in a given year. Farmers are understandably irked at the prospect of having to obtain a permit for their animal emissions similar to those required of municipal waste incinerators, chemical manufacturers and cement factories. In an industry with ever-shrinking margins, the proposed tax is a hefty one: $175 per cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and upwards of $20 per hog. Since the 490-plus-page EPA notice was published last summer, the agency has received more than 100,000 responses, many from angry farm bureaus. "The permit would effectively be a massive new tax on our farm animals," said New York Farm Bureau President John Lincoln, who estimates that the tax would cost New York farmers alone more than $110 million per year. We're not saying the EPA should look to nix the cow tax idea entirely, but it may behoove them to paint with some less broad strokes when it comes to assessing fees on various industries. Farmers don't deserve to be exempt here, but less stringency may be in order. Comments (6)
  written by Ken Houghton, November 30, 2008
I see that [ s ] was read as < s >.
The entire article is a press release from the New York Farm Bureau. Why should we take it seriously? More importantly, why do you?
 written by cooler choice, November 30, 2008
wow what next will they be taxing humans for emissions on gases also i mean we all have to release gas dont we ???
 written by Wandering, December 01, 2008
Neither industry nor farmers pay taxes. They collect them from their customers, and forward them. In the end WE pay them. Taxing farmers increases food cost, taxing industry raises product prices. WE pay. You can't tax them, they don't print money, they pass it all on to the customer - US.
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It's true what our moms said...we are what we eat. In fact, it's truer than they thought. What I eat doesn't just affect me anymore, it affects all of us.
Unfortunately, the story of food can sometimes be complicated. But envirovores help each other out...which is why this blog will be bringing you news, tips, and information about food and the environment every step of the way.
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"Farm animals simply don't contribute greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at a higher rate than any other living thing. However, in this case, farmers would be forced to gain a permit," said Lincoln.
If a dairy cow pushes 4 tonnes of methane into the atmosphere each year, it's producing "a higher rate than [several] other living thing
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The entire article is a press release from the New York Farm Bureau. Why should we take it seriously?