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EPA Decides to Exclude Milk from Oil Spill Prevention Program
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 04/13/2011

Many of Wisconsin's lawmakers in Washington are celebrating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to exempt milk and milk product containers from the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rule. The change was announced on Tuesday, which could potentially save the milk and dairy industries more than $140 million per year.

"After working closely with dairy farmers and other members of the agricultural community, we're taking commonsense steps to exempt them from a provision in this rule that simply shouldn't apply to them," said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. "Despite the myths that have arisen about EPA's intentions, our efforts have been solely focused on exempting milk and milk products from this regulation--and that exemption is now permanent and will relieve a potential burden from our nation's dairy farms, potentially saving them money, and ensuring that EPA can focus on the pressing business of environmental and health protection."

As Wisconsin Ag Connection had reported earlier, the SPCC program requires that businesses create plans for managing oil spills, with the goal of preventing spills and minimizing the damage should a spill occur. And since milk contains animal fat, which is included in the definition of oil under the Clean Water Act, some dairy farmers and processors would have been subject to EPA regulation.

Jackson also noted this week that milk production is already subject to certain construction and sanitary standards and requirements that help prevent spills, so the extra regulations in the SPCC program would not be necessary.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republican Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner and Reid Ribble have joined 99 other members of the House of Representatives in signing another letter to Jackson over concerns about the revision of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for dust. Their letter encourages EPA to not implement the more stringent dust standards.


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