From Atlanta Journal Constitution - AP

A 'cow tax' from EPA?
Bovine emissions could be costly for farmers

By Bob Johnson

Associated Press

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Montgomery —- For farmers, this stinks: Belching and gaseous cows and
hogs could start costing them money if the federal government decides
to charge fees for air-polluting animals.

Farmers so far are turning their noses up at the notion, which they
contend is a possible consequence of an Environmental Protection
Agency report after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that
greenhouse gases emitted by belching and flatulence amounts to air
pollution.

"This is one of the most ridiculous things the federal government has
tried to do," said Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, an
outspoken opponent of the fees.

EPA officials insisted Friday that the lengthy, highly technical
report, which mostly focuses on other sources of air pollution, does
not include a proposal to tax livestock.

But the American Farm Bureau Federation said, based on federal
agriculture department figures, it would require farms or ranches with
more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs to pay an annual
fee of about $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle
and $20 for each hog.

The executive vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation,
Ken Hamilton, estimated the fee would cost owners of a modest-size
cattle ranch $30,000 to $40,000 a year. He said he has talked to a
number of livestock owners about the proposals, and "all have said if
the fees were carried out, it would bankrupt them."

Sparks said this week that he's worried the fee could be extended to
chickens and other farm animals and cause more meat to be imported.

"We'll let other countries put food on our tables like they are
putting gas in our cars. Other countries don't have the health
standards we have," Sparks said.

The farm groups say the fee would apply to farms with livestock
operations that emit more than 100 tons of carbon emissions in a year
and fall under federal Clean Air Act provisions.

EPA officials said the agency has not taken a position on any of the
matters discussed in its response to the Supreme Court ruling. And
John Millett, a spokesman for EPA's air and radiation division, said
there has been an oversimplification of the EPA's document "to the
point of distortion."

"EPA is not proposing any type of tax on livestock," he said.

American Farm Bureau Federation officials did not immediately respond
to the EPA statement Friday.

But farmers from across the country have expressed outrage over the
EPA report, on Internet sites and in opinions sent to the EPA during a
public comment period that ended last week. Many call it a "cow tax"
and say the EPA proposed it.

"It's something that really has a very big potential adverse impact
for the livestock industry," said Rick Krause, the senior director of
congressional relations for the federation.

The fee would cover the cost of a permit for the livestock operations.
An organization supporting the proposal hopes it forces the farms and
ranches to switch to healthier crops.

"It makes perfect sense if you are looking for ways to cut down on
meat consumption and recoup environmental losses," said Bruce
Friedrich, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

--
Dr. Teri Hamlin
North Region Agriculture Education
Georgia Department of Education
204C Four Towers University of Georgia
Athens, Ga 30602
706-542-3679 / 706-540-0032
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