EPA Rule Exempting Animal Farms From Emissions Reporting Upheld

The Environmental Protection Agency lawfully exempted animal farms from disclosing toxic air emissions after a federal court ruled the agency didn’t have statutory leeway to consider the public’s right to access information.

Congress intended to exempt air emissions from livestock waste under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act when it passed the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act in 2018, and the EPA’s rule was a “straightforward reading” of the law, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Thursday.

A host of environmental groups, including the Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help, the Sierra Club, and ...