03/31/05 Air emission study and an agreement

Idaho dairymen and the Idaho Conservation League have an agreement that could lead to new state rules for permits that control air emissions from dairies. Last month the National Pork Producers Council reached a major consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency for a two-year study of livestock and poultry emissions. Kimberly pork producer and chairman of the NPPC's Environmental Committee Dave Roper is very aware of today's political climate. ROPER "Not necessarily is it the states now or the EPA or the Department of Agriculture that are developing rules and regulations. It's the court system. It's the environmental activists in their legal suits that are doing this." Case in point; last year the ICL won a court decision against a Magic Valley dairy owner and state permit was at the center of the debate. Roper says the industry wants to move forward but there are activists that refuse to participate in meaningful talks or negotiations. ROPER "Obviously this brings end or brings closure to their issue that the dairies and animal feeding operations are harmful to the environment. As we did with the water issues this now begins to bring closure to the air issues. And then they'll have to find somebody else to go pick on." Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott