Most Feedlots Fare Well Under EPA Rule

A group of Texas-based researchers provided answers for the nation’s cattle feeding industry after it was given a very short window by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin reporting ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions. The EPA issued a final ruling on Dec. 18 that required the reporting of continuous air releases of these gases by large confined animal feeding operations to local and state emergency management entities. Until this ruling, the EPA had not required agricultural operations to report air emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. But with the new EPA rule, it was determined the reporting was required under the 1986 act and operations falling within the guidelines must report emissions by Jan. 20, said Ben Weinheimer, Texas Cattle Feeders Association vice president.

The rule applies to operations that can emit 100 pounds or more of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide during any 24-hour period, Weinheimer said. These operations are now required to report the emissions to state and local emergency responders. But with the rule came no guidelines on how to gather that information or report it, and there were no officially adopted emission factors available, he said. Research from this project has shown that emission rates for ammonia during winter months are about half of the emission rates during summer months. Concentrations measured at the center of a commercial Panhandle feed yard were substantially below the Texas regulatory threshold for the property boundary during the majority of the two-year monitoring period and concentrations at the boundary were considerably less than those measured at the center of the yard.

Weinheimer said with the quick response of the research group, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was able to send out “reporting packets” to feed yards in early January and conduct a Webinar on Jan. 15 to explain the requirements to its members. “From day one, this project has been founded on solid research objectives to address multiple air quality issues facing the cattle feeding industry,” said Ross Wilson, president and chief executive officer of Texas Cattle Feeders. Wilson said it was through this group’s efforts and provided data that the industry was able to make a good faith estimate of the lower and upper bounds for both ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions.