Brooks Law Digest: Dairy/Milk

Pennsylvania House Bill 1874 would provide for regulating the meatpacking and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; establishing the industry workers' rights coordinator within the state Department of Labor and Industry; and providing for public health emergency protections for individuals working in meat packing, slaughter house, egg production, and other similar facilities. The bill has been referred to the Pennsylvania House Committee on Labor and Industry.

In a suit filed by a coalition of environmental and food safety organizations, a Washington state appeals court has found that waste discharge permits for dairy farms in the state are insufficient under both the Clean Water Act and the state’s Water Pollution Control Act. The court held that while current permit conditions meet some requirements, they do not adequately address manure lagoons.

A new review by Matthew Hayek and Scot Miller published in Environmental Research Letters suggests that the United States may be understating methane emissions from meat and dairy operations, undermining goals of sustainable development.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and three physicians have filed suit against the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services alleging that the agencies’ issuance of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans violates the Administrative Procedure Act because the guidelines “fail to reflect current ‘scientific and medical knowledge.’”

Arkansas House Bill 1920 would require each agency that “has promulgated a rule pertaining to milk and cattle production” to file “an initial rule report” with the Governor and Legislative council by December 1, 2021 and a “final rule report” by September 1, 2022. The bill subsequently would require the Legislative Council to vote by December 31, 2022 to determine whether each rule should continue to remain in effect or be repealed. The bill would not apply to rules pertaining solely to waste management.

Twenty-five groups have filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency asking the agency to regulate pig and dairy operations under the Clean Air Act. The petition also requests the agency make an official finding that methane emissions from animal agriculture “contribute significantly to” air pollution.

Twenty-five groups have filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency asking the agency to regulate pig and dairy operations under the Clean Air Act. The petition also requests the agency make an official finding that methane emissions from animal agriculture “contribute significantly to” air pollution.

A new study by Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid, and Jennifer Jacquet published in Climatic Change, “The Climate Responsibilities of Industrial Meat and Dairy Producers,” evaluates the largest meat and dairy companies’ commitments to positive change and transparency regarding climate.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has signed into law House Bill 1153 which will declare an emergency and authorize the Board of Regents to contract for the design and construction of a new dairy research and extension farm on the campus of South Dakota State University.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed into law House Bill 1750, creating the Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program in order to assist dairy producers in the state by reimbursing annual premiums paid under the federal Farm Act’s margin coverage program.