Pork producers sue US over new emissions rule

The Associated Press
Published: January 20, 2009

DES MOINES, Iowa: The National Pork Producers Council said Monday it is suing to challenge the federal government's requirement that livestock farms inform communities about estimated emissions.
The Environmental Protection Agency's rule is scheduled to take effect Tuesday. It requires livestock producers to call state and local emergency response authorities to inform them of estimated emissions and to notify them in writing.
Farms that fail to comply face penalties of up to $25,000 per day.
The council, based in Urbandale, Iowa, says in the lawsuit that livestock operations should be exempt and that the EPA delayed information on the rule and didn't develop a proper system for the operations to comply. It asks a court to prevent enforcement of the rule until the EPA develops a proper compliance system.
The council said its lawsuit was filed after-hours in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. A copy of the lawsuit wasn't immediately available.