Last week, a U.S. District Court last week dismissed a Humane Society of the United States lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, alleging the agency would not regulate confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). In 2009, the group requested that EPA begin rulemaking under the Clean Air Act to regulate air emissions from CAFOs. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out the case because the plaintiffs did not give EPA 180-days’ notice of their intent to sue, which is required.
In 2006, nearly 1,900 pork producers and other livestock and poultry farmers entered into agreements with EPA, settling what the agency believed were issues with air emissions associated with livestock production. However, the National Pork Producers Council says the studies were blocked by the activist groups that filed the lawsuit. HSUS indicated it would re-file the lawsuit after providing the 180 days’ notice.
Source: NAFB News Service