Several environmental and other groups have petitioned EPA to use the same authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to regulate power plants to regulate large dairy and hog farms.
They said the agency should regulate those operations with more than 500 dairy cattle and more than 1,000 hogs without access to pasture as major sources of the greenhouse gas (GHG) methane.
They also called on EPA to reject classifying methane captured from such operations as “biogas,” calling burning of methane collected from such operations as a “false solution” relative to climate change.
EPA said it would respond to the petition. If it were to actively pursue regulations requested by the groups, it would entail a process that could take up to two years before any actions would be taken. And, there would have to be a public comment period as the rules/regulations were being developed.