USDA ADVISORY PANEL BACKS TERMS TO EXEMPT FARMS FROM EPA RULES

A Department of Agriculture (USDA) advisory panel is backing new definitions for key regulatory terms that, if adopted, would in many cases exempt agricultural operations from Clean Air Act requirements and Superfund reporting regulations. The representatives are also calling for the creation of a special joint USDA-EPA workgroup to consider ways to implement the new definitions, according to sources on the panel. During a Feb. 28-March 2 meeting, the Agriculture Air Quality Task Force voted to approve several definitions that...