10/18/06 Superfund clean up

Superfund Cleanup Many laws on the books today get a pretty liberal interpretation when it comes time to enforce them. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to talk about one of those laws. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act were intended for worst-case environmental disasters, not on-farm use of manure. That's basically what the National Cattlemen's Beef Association officials are telling Congress. America's ranchers don't operate Superfund sites and manure is not a Superfund waste material, although some state and local authorities would like to interpret these Superfund laws to include manure emissions. Somehow, to me, manure just doesn't constitute the same level of worry or harm as a chemical spill or nuclear accident. Manure has gone back on the land from grazing animals for centuries. It is an intricate part of soil and plant health. As plants use soil nutrients and are removed from the site as food or forage, what better replacement for those soil nutrients is there than a natural fertilizer like manure. H.R. 4341has been introduced by Congressman Ralph Hall and has more than 180 cosponsors. Also, the U.S. Senate has identical legislation, S.B. 3681 with 30 Senate bipartisan backers. This legislation would confirm that manure was never intended to be regulated under Superfund Laws. We can only hope common sense prevails. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 9/27/06