Rumors of “Cow Tax” on Methane Emissions Prompt Opposition to EPA Plan
Farmers have reportedly reacted unfavorably to an EPA proposal that would regulate greenhouse gases from “stationary sources,” including cows and other livestock, as well as cars. The “advanced notice of proposed rulemaking” suggested that farms exceeding a 100-tons-per-year emission limit–those with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs–would need to obtain an annual air pollution permit, which respondents estimated would cost upwards of $175 per cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 per hog. The U.S. Department of Agriculture joined with several state farm bureaus in pointing out that “[It] is neither efficient nor practical to require permitting and reporting of [greenhouse] emissions from farms of this size . . . These operations simply could not bear the regulatory compliance costs that would be involved.” Although some officials have described the overwhelming response as “almost a panic,” media sources have noted that strong opposition recently killed off similar proposals in New Zealand and Estonia. See The New York Times, December 1, 2008; The Associated Press, December 5, 2008.
