EPA withdraws plan to reduce wastewater discharge at meat and poultry plants

The EPA is looking to end plans for reducing wastewater at meat and poultry processing plants, citing concerns that many operations could not afford to make the necessary upgrades.

The effort to reduce wastewater discharges came from the Biden administration, but a study by the EPA shows that as many as sixteen meat plants would be forced to close if the rules went into effect.

A summary of the decision says that the plan would have had significant impacts on the nation’s food supply and pricing.
Jobs would also be on the line too.

The EPA warns that upward of 25,000 Americans would be forced out of work if the agency went forward on the proposal.

Meat groups are backing the EPA’s move.

The National Pork Producers Council says that it applauds the administration’s decision, saying that rules in the Clean Water Act are effective enough and that any other changes would be harmful to processors.

Leaders of that group say that the decision now closes nearly two years of waiting for an answer.

Related Stories
Sen. Roger Marshall explains which types of beef are imported into the United States, how there’s room for new imports, and logical reasons for current high prices.
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) discusses the USDA’s new cattle plan, ethanol policy, and the broader challenges ahead for rural America.
Expanding bioethanol use strengthens rural economies, supports farm markets, and positions U.S. agriculture at the center of global low-carbon trade.
“President Trump Undercuts America’s Cattle Producers,” says NCBA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing now to make markets less volatile for ranchers over the long term and more affordable for consumers, according to a press release.
Elizabeth Strom with the American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) joined us to share the latest on harvest progress and market activity in her area.

EPA