Time to report livestock emissions still up in air

Get ready, set ... and wait. Livestock emissions reporting is on the way — but when producers will be required to start reporting is a question mark. “It’s not going to go away. It’s been delayed once,” said Josh Trenary, executive director of the Indiana Pork Producers Association. Livestock producers originally were set to start reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency on Nov. 15, 2017, if operations that met certain size requirements determined by the EPA emitted more than 100 pounds per day of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide gas. In November, as the deadline to report approached, the EPA asked courts to delay the reporting requirement. They were supported in that effort by livestock groups, including the National Pork Producers Council. A federal court granted the delay, pushing the reporting mandate to Jan. 22, 2018. Some groups are hoping they can get another delay. “As of right now, we still aren’t sure that’s the mandated day and we are still hopeful that date could change and it potentially could be pushed back again,” said Jennifer Tirey, executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association...more