4-23 IAN EPA Manure

   I got a press release from the Idaho Dairyman’s Association saying that some nuts are calling on the EPA to claim that cow manure is a hazardous waste. Let me read. “Actions by Region 10 of the EPA have led to lawsuits being filed against five Yakima Washington dairy operations. Because the pending lawsuits have implication for ALL livestock producers, regardless of size or location of the operation, the Board of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association has authorized the Association to be engaged in the lawsuits and cover 50% of the legal fees for the Yakima dairy producers. The complaints filed by the Community Association for Restoration of the Environment, Inc. (CARE) and the Center for Food Safety, Inc. are in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. The litigation is a direct assault on farming and farm practices because, if successful, beef, dairy, poultry and common farming practices will be subject to new federal regulations and citizen suits.

CARE is seeking to have routine manure management activities at dairies classified as solid waste dumps. Executive Director of the Idaho Dairyman’s Association Bob Naerbout calls manure a product: “ It is a product that in both raw form and compost form is used to fertilize crops.”