Bill to Exempt Small Farms From Regulatory Overreach

By CnAgri2012-09-24 19:34:04 Print

U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and James Inhofe (R-OK), along with Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced a bill to amend the Environmental Protection Agency's Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Rule and ease the regulatory compliance for farms. Companion legislation recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives without a single objection.

"The EPA's proposed fuel storage rules would force thousands of farmers to pay for costly infrastructure projects--along with an extensive inspection and certification process--that they simply don't need," Pryor said. "By exempting small farms from this regulatory overreach, our bipartisan bill would save farmers millions in unneeded costs."

Under EPA's plan, beginning next year, farmers who have oil and gas tanks on their farms will be required to hire a certified professional engineer to design a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan, just like major oil refineries. They may also be required to purchase new capital equipment to comply with the rule, including dual containment tanks on farm trucks and fuel storage units that will unnecessarily raise the cost of farming.

This bill will exempt farmers from these regulations for aboveground oil storage tanks that have an aggregate storage capacity of less than 10,000 gallons.

In addition to providing this exemption, it will also allow farmers who are regulated and have less than 42,000 gallons of above ground storage capacity to self certify their own plans.