12/16/08 EPA Exemption & Recommendations

EPA Exemption & Recommendations plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. EPA is announcing a final rule providing an administrative reporting exemption for air releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms. However, notifications must still be made to response authorities when hazardous substances are released to the air from sources other than animal waste, such as ammonia tanks, and when hazardous substances are released to soil and water. Small operations are exempt - and under the new rule that takes effect 30-days from last Friday - all operations are exempt from federal reporting. But CAFOs - or confined animal feeding operations - must still report to their states and locales according to American Farm Bureau's Tyler Wegmeyer. WEGEMEYER: 700 dairy cows, 11-hundred non-dairy cows, approximately 2500 swine, 55-thousand chickens, etc. The National 25x'25 Alliance Steering Committee has presented Congress and the incoming Obama administration with a package of 12 recommendations designed to boost federal renewable energy programs. The recommendations boost federal renewable energy programs by calling for additional investments totaling some 4.14  billion dollars, an outlay that could ultimately help generate hundreds of billions in new annual revenues and millions of new jobs. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. The last few years have brought about yet another holiday stress factor; whether or not to have a fake Christmas tree or a live one. Surprisingly, the newly formed American Christmas Tree Association is pushing in favor of artificial trees; stating that the carbon footprint is smaller with fake than with live. Unsurprisingly this has brought about a rather livid debate between the live and artificial Christmas tree industries. The fact that the ACTC will not release publicly the study this statement is based upon or their membership list raises strong questions over the groups credibility. Good old common sense would have one questioning the viability of having fake trees over live trees. Live trees absorb carbon while they are growing and can be recycled as mulch or used whole to stabilize wetlands. Even better would be to choose a live potted tree that you can plant outside after the holidays. The fun and enjoyment of a family outing to a Christmas tree farm is an opportunity for a cherished memory that will last a lifetime. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.