skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Advocates: EPA Manure Ruling a “Flaming Bag of Poop”

play audio
Play

Wednesday, December 3, 2008   

St. Louis, MO - An environmental advocate says a "flaming bag of poop" has been thrown on the state Capitol steps, with finalization by the Environmental Protection Agency of a rule meant to protect water quality by requiring concentrated animal feeding operations or "CAFOs" to safely manage manure.

In response to a court decision, the EPA has changed its rules that govern factory farms, so that CAFOs are no longer required to obtain permits under the Clean Water Act unless they discharge pollutants, and CAFOs may now participate in a voluntary certification program outside of the Clean Water Act.

Kathleen Logan Smith of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment says the new ruling leaves a lot of gray area for everyone involved. She says that, for those CAFOs that do obtain permits, there will be more provisions that protect water quality. While these requirements are good in theory, she adds, the ruling has many loopholes, and many CAFOs won't even have to get permits.

"It's almost like having the best rules in the world and only applying them to three-armed polka-dotted aliens. They're not going to apply to anybody, so no matter how good the rules are, hardly anybody is going to be required to have a permit."

Logan Smith says the move is a step forward in protecting water quality, but it lacks teeth because it relies for the most part on self-enforcement of the rules.

"It's all going to be about, 'Can we trust you, can we trust you to do the right thing?'- and agriculture hasn't been all that great about policing their own."

Logan Smith it will be a mess for the state to figure out how to administer the ruling, which came in response to the Waterkeeper decision issued by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in February of 2005. It takes effect December 22nd.

Missouri has more than 500 large CAFOs. The EPA says the ruling will prevent millions of pounds of phosphorus and nitrogen from entering the country's waters.

For more information on the ruling, go to cfpub.epa.gov




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021