01/08/2009: "Changing Times"
mood: Un-Happy
In a down economy everyone tries to come up with ways to generate a cash flow. As of November events have changed making it harder in one sense for the horse people. The EPA - Environmental Protection Agency is no different they are taking the proverbial "cake" in order to increase the agency's cash flow. According to a press release issued from the Florida Farm Bureau, the EPA issued an Advance Notice to Proposed Rule making seeking public comment on whether it is appropriate to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles under the Clean Air Act in order to regulate automobile emissions, the EPA would first have to make a finding that all greenhouse gases endanger public health and safety and should be classified as a 'pollutant'.
The proposed rule could have additional and potentially unforeseen implication because the EPA would essentially be ruling on whether greenhouse gas emissions impact the public safety. If the agency determines this is true, it would be able to regulate methane, carbon, dioxide and nitrous oxide gases under the Clean Air Act. CLICK TO READ MORE:
By saying these gases can effect the safety of the public, the Clean Air Act would be initiated that will create farther reaching and more costly regulations throughout the U.S. economy - including agriculture.
Although the EPA may have good intentions of ramping up efforts to regulate greenhouse gases the agency may actually be biting the hands that feed the United States.
What does this have to do with horses you might be asking yourself, well it's no laughing matter. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture persons with more than 25 dairy cows, beef cattle, horses, pigs and so forth will be required to pay an additional fee of 175.00 annually for each cow and 87.50 for each horse 20.00 per each pig. This will result in a balloon cost to not only our food industry with prices rising at the market. It will also stop rescues from taking in horses that can not be afforded.
To comment on this and other EPA purposals or rulings, you can visit their website at http://epa.gov/lawsregs/search/howtocomment.html