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A recent decision in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could have implications for agriculture all around the U.S.
The that an EPA permit for so-called factory farms in Idaho went against the Clean Water Act because it didn鈥檛 include enough monitoring of waste discharge.
Essentially, the aims to make sure manure pits don鈥檛 unknowingly pollute streams and rivers.
The ruling doesn鈥檛 mean much right now. Not many operations even use this permitting system in Idaho or around the region.
But, environmental nonprofit Food and Water Watch wants this to be the first of several pushes to monitor major livestock operations nationwide. It sued the EPA in this case and others.
鈥淔ood and Water Watch is very focused on increasing permitting of factory farms and also making sure that those permits are as strong as possible,鈥� said Tarah Heinzen, their legal director.
Agriculture groups in Idaho have concerns about the long-term implications, though. Feedlots and dairy operations are big in Western economies.
Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen鈥檚 Association, argues it鈥檚 actually a good sign that not many dairies are currently involved in program.
鈥淚f we did have facilities that were discharging into waters of the U.S., one of the first things that EPA does is that they go back to that facility and require them to be part of the [pollutant discharge elimination] program and get a permit,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, our producers are already doing a good job of managing their manure and making sure it鈥檚 not reaching waters of the U.S.鈥�
Environmental groups disagree, and believe discharges are happening without sufficient monitoring and regulations.
When asked about the potential for more permits or requirements on large-scale animal operations, Naerebout said 鈥渁t this point, I don鈥檛 see a mechanism where our dairies would be forced into getting [a pollutant discharge] permit. If we鈥檙e not discharging into waters of the U.S., we don鈥檛 have a history of issues, there鈥檚 not the necessity of the permit.鈥�
Naerebout said his association will monitor any new EPA permit language to see what it might cost participating operations.
The EPA would have to draft new language to comply with this ruling.
This story was produced by the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau, a collaboration between Nevada Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau is provided in part by the .
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