{
  "id": "R41622",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R41622",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 431990,
      "date": "2014-06-16",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T20:20:20.514792",
      "title": "Environmental Regulation and Agriculture",
      "summary": "As the U.S. and global economies continue to struggle, some inside and outside of Congress have expressed concern about how environmental regulation may stifle growth and productivity. Much of the criticism has focused on environmental regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some claim that EPA is overreaching its regulatory authority and imposing costly and burdensome requirements on society. In general, the agriculture community, among others, has been vocal in its concerns, contending that EPA appears to be focusing some of its recent regulatory efforts on agriculture. Many public health and environmental advocates, on the other hand, support many of EPA\u2019s overall regulatory efforts and in some cases argue that EPA has not taken adequate action to control the impacts of certain agricultural activities.\nMost environmental regulations, in terms of permitting, inspection, and enforcement, are implemented by state and local governments, often based on federal EPA regulatory guidance. In some cases, agriculture is the direct or primary focus of the regulatory actions. In other cases, agriculture is one of many affected sectors. Traditionally, farm and ranch operations have been exempt or excluded from many environmental regulations. Given the agricultural sector\u2019s size and its potential to affect its surrounding environment, there is interest in both managing potential impacts of agricultural actions on the environment and also maintaining an economically viable agricultural industry. Of particular interest to agriculture are a number of regulatory actions affecting air, water, energy, and pesticides.\nAgricultural production practices from both livestock and crop operations generate a variety of substances that enter the atmosphere, potentially creating health and environmental issues. Recent actions by EPA to regulate emissions and pollutants have drawn criticism, including greenhouse gas emission reporting and permitting requirements, and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) related to particulate matter (commonly referred to as dust). \nWater quality issues also are of interest to the agricultural industry, as water is an input for production and can also be degraded as a result of production through the potential release of sediment, nutrients, pathogens, and pesticides. Federal environmental laws largely do not regulate agricultural actors, in many cases giving responsibilities to the states. One exception is large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which are subject to federal permitting requirements. Constraints on agricultural production to reduce pollution discharges typically arise at the state level in response to local concerns, and how to manage agricultural sources has been a prominent issue in several locations, such as the Chesapeake Bay and Florida. A proposed federal rule to define \u201cwaters of the United States\u201d has drawn criticism from agriculture and others.\nChanges in energy policy, namely increased bioenergy production continue to be important to many in the agricultural industry, based on the potential of corn-based biofuel production to contribute to the nation\u2019s energy supply through both the renewable fuel standard (RFS) and the increased percentage of ethanol in gasoline (E15).\nHundreds of chemical products are available to repel or kill \u201cpests\u201d that affect agricultural production. The federal regulation of these pesticides includes registering and restricting their use. The risks associated with agricultural pesticide use and possible impacts on human health and the environment also have led to recent federal regulatory reviews.",
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      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 258,
          "name": "Clean Air Act and Air Quality"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 2647,
          "name": "Water Quality Protection"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 3096,
          "name": "Chemicals in Commerce"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 3116,
          "name": "Animal Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 3271,
          "name": "Rulemaking and the Regulatory Process"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 641,
          "name": "Farm Bill and Agricultural Policy"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822617/",
      "id": "R41622_2013Mar12",
      "date": "2013-03-12",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Environmental Regulation and Agriculture",
      "summary": "This report discusses the impact of environmental regulation on agriculture. Most environmental regulations, in terms of permitting, inspection, and enforcement, are implemented by state and local governments, often based on federal EPA regulatory guidance. In some cases, agriculture is the direct or primary focus of the regulatory actions. In other cases, agriculture is one of many affected sectors. Traditionally, farm and ranch operations have been exempt or excluded from many environmental regulations.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Environmental policy",
          "name": "Environmental policy"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Environmental protection",
          "name": "Environmental protection"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Agricultural Policy",
    "Energy Policy",
    "Environmental Policy"
  ]
}