Legislative Agricultural Chairs VII
State
Agriculture and Rural Leaders
Resolution
2009-7
Resolution
Urging the Exemption of Farms Under
EPA Clean Air Rules
Whereas: the U.S.
Supreme
Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA regulating
automobile emissions,
requires EPA to make a finding that greenhouse gases are
pollutants that
endanger public health, thus granting EPA the
authority to regulate
automobile emissions; and
Whereas: the
Environmental Protection Agency has issued an Advance Notice of
Proposed
Rulemaking for regulating greenhouse gases under the federal Clean Air
Act; and
Whereas: once this
occurs, it would
automatically trigger other Clean Air Act provisions requiring
regulation of
carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that would seriously impact
agriculture;
and
Whereas:
as state legislators, we are committed to vibrant
and
healthy rural economies and do not believe that the Clean Air Act is
appropriate for regulating the natural biological emissions from cattle
and pigs;
and
WHEREAS: were US farms to go out of
business the economic damage to livestock producers would
be huge,
the loss of open lands
and forests of farm operations as well as the
importation/transportation of food products would actually
increase carbon emissions.
Now
Therefore Be It Resolved: that State Agricultural and
Rural Leaders urge Congress
and the administration exempt farms and ranches from the requirements
of the Clean
Air Act, and
Be It Further Resolved: that a copy of this resolution be sent to The United States Congress, Secretary of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Committees of the States.