Agriculture : NACAA Positions| Related Documents| Related Links

Agriculture comprises many types of activities, from crop production to raising animals for food animal agriculture, and related activities. It is one of the major sources of air pollution worldwide. Agricultural activities contribute directly to emissions of air pollutants through a variety of processes: enteric fermentation in domestic livestock (i.e., methane gas produced during digestion), manure management, rice cultivation, agricultural soil management, machines used in agricultural operation (diesel irrigation pumps) and burning of agricultural residues. There are approximately 1.3 million livestock and poultry farms in the United States. Approximately one-third of these farms raise animals in confinement, qualifying them as animal feeding operations (AFOs). AFOs are a source of a number of air pollutants of concern, including particulate matter (PM), ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, greenhouse gases (e.g., methane and nitrous oxide), odor, and volatile organic compounds. In large enough concentrations, these pollutants can cause adverse human health or ecological effects.

NACAA Positions

• Change is in the Air: NACAA Recommendations to the New Administration on Improving Our Nation’s Clean Air Program (December 16, 2008)
  
• Letter from NACAA and Other Associations Opposing Farm Bill Provisions Exempting Manure from Superfund and EPCRA (October 23, 2007)
  
• NACAA Testimony on Confined Animal Feeding Operations at Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing (September 6, 2007)
  
• Letter Opposing Exempting Air Emissions from Manure from Superfund and EPCRA Reporting Requirements (March 20, 2007)
  An identical letter was sent to Senator Barbara Boxer, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
• NACAA Submits Comments Opposing Seaboard AFO Consent Decree (October 27, 2006)
  
• STAPPA/ALAPCO Comments on EPA Air Quality Compliance Agreement for AFOs (March 3, 2005)
  
• Letter to EPA Expressing Concerns with Proposed 'Safe Harbor' Agreement for Animal Feeding Operations (February 18, 2004)
  
• STAPPA/ALAPCO Comments on Proposed Rule to Classify Diesel Agricultural Engines in California as Nonroad (May 12, 2003)
  
• STAPPA and ALAPCO Send Letter to EPA Administrator Expressing Concerns with Policy Direction on Agricultural Air Emissions (April 7, 2003)
  
• STAPPA and ALAPCO Submit Comments on Proposed Environmental Quality Incentives Program Rule (March 12, 2003)
  

Related Documents

• List of Major Environmental Laws and Programs That Could Apply to Agriculture (June 13, 2007)
  
• Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options (December 1, 2006)
  This report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization assesses the impact of livestock operations on the environment and includes data on air emissions from AFOs.
• Air Quality Standards and Nuisance Issues for Animal Agriculture (June 20, 2006)
  
• EPA's National Strategy for Agriculture (April 25, 2006)
  
• Iowa AFO Odor Study (March 27, 2006)
  
• Development of Environmentally Superior Technology Determinations for Controlling Emissions from CAFOs: Phase 3 Technology Determinations (March 8, 2006)
  
• EPA Environmental Appeals Board Approves 20 CAFO Safe Harbor Agreements (January 30, 2006)
  
• San Joaquin Valley, California's Determination of a VOC Emissions Factor For Dairies (August 3, 2005)
  
• Development of Environmentally Superior Technology Determinations for Controlling Emissions from CAFOs: Phase 2 Technology Determinations (August 2, 2005)
  
• California's Definition of Large Confined Animal Facility (May 17, 2005)
  
• Idaho Dairy Ammonia Emissions Factors Agreement (March 24, 2005)
  
• EPA Air Quality Compliance Agreement for AFOs (January 21, 2005)
  
• Carcass Disposal: A Comprehensive Review (December 7, 2004)
  
• USDA CSREES Agricultural Air Quality Research Projects (October 19, 2004)
  
• South Coast AQMD's Dairy Manure Regulation (August 16, 2004)
  
• Development of Environmentally Superior Technologies Report (August 5, 2004)
  
• CAPCOA's White Paper on AFOs and CAFOs (July 12, 2004)
  
• Monitoring Protocol for CAFO Safe Harbor Agreement (Executive Summary) (March 19, 2004)
  
• Second EPA Redraft of Safe Harbor Agreement (December 18, 2003)
  
• California's SB 700 Regarding Agricultural Air Emissions (September 22, 2003)
  
• Letter from Environmental Groups Urging EPA to Control CAFO Air Emissions (September 2, 2003)
  
• EPA's Response to STAPPA/ALAPCO Letter on Safe Harbor Agreement and Fugitive Emissions Policy (June 24, 2003)
  
• Letter from Senator Edwards (NC) on Safe Harbor Proposal and Fugitive Emissions Policy (May 9, 2003)
  
• EPA’s Direct Final Rule to Change Definition of Nonroad Engines in California to Include Stationary Diesel Ag Engines (April 8, 2003)
  
• Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations: Current Knowledge, Future Needs, Final Report (December 12, 2002)
  
• Agriculture-Air Quality Issues: State and Local Survey (October 1, 2001)
  
• Interim Report of the NAS Committee on CAFO Air Emissions (June 7, 2002)
  

Related Links

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