Congressman pleased House backs measure to rein in EPA powers under RCRA

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) said Wednesday the House has approved his amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill that will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from expanding the authority it was granted in the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) to target farmers and livestock and dairy industries.

“I am pleased that the House has taken this common sense step to protect farmers, livestock producers and dairies across the nation from any Environmental Protection Agency attempt to expand federal rules that were never intended to regulate animal waste,” said Newhouse. “We all have the responsibility to be good stewards of the environment, and dairies and livestock producers are no exception.”

RCRA was created to regulate landfills and prevent the open dumping of solid waste. A January 2015 federal ruling in Spokane, Washington, has challenged the law’s scope, with environmental activists attempting to use it to police farming and livestock industries.

“This amendment does nothing to prevent the EPA from enforcing current regulations under the Clean Water Act or any other applicable law, nor does it exempt livestock producers from any laws or regulations, but it does require the EPA to follow the law as it was intended,” Newhouse said.