Contact your state senators today. Tell senators Harkin and Grassley to vote "NO" to Senator Craig's amendment on air quality. Factories and refineries are required by law to tell federal, state and local agencies what and how much toxic chemicals they are releasing into our atmosphere. Livestock farms put out emissions too, including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, and a court decision could force them to start disclosing those emissions - unless Congress intervenes. Background: A court case in Kentucky claims exemptions in air quality reporting would allow farms to hide the extent to which they are fouling the air. If farms disclose what they're emitting, we would know which pollutants are in the air. State regulators could focus more on operations that potentially violate air quality limits. U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R) is an Idaho senator whose state is home to a growing number of large dairy farms. Craig is proposing legislation to exempt farms from federal air quality reporting laws "regardless of size and without regard to any potential impact," according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The exemptions would apply to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation Liability Act, better known as the Superfund law, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Vocal Opposition: In a letter circulated to senators, EPA officials said the exemption could undermine a consent agreement that the agency is working out with pork and poultry producers. Senator Craig believes farms already are protected from the reporting requirements but wants to make sure they can't be challenged in court. Current Status: Craig planned to attach his reporting exemption to a spending bill last Tuesday but backed off when other senators raised questions about it. He plans to propose the measure again when the spending bill reaches the Senate floor. The American Farm Bureau Federation backs Craig's proposal. The National Pork Producers Council, which supports the EPA's consent agreement, has not taken a position on the legislation, and Iowa's senators Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin have not taken a position. Voice your opinion on the matter. Contact Senators Harkin and Grassley today! Senator Tom Harkin Senator Charles Grassley 731 Hart Senate Office Building 135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-1502 Washington, DC 20510-1501 Phone: 202-224-3254 Phone: 202-224-3744 [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]