Potential Future Regulation for Emergency Release Notification Requirements for Animal Waste Air Emissions Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to Know Act (EPCRA)

This letter to the US EPA supports their proposal to reinstate Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) reporting requirements for animal production facilities. We recommended that EPA maintain emissions reporting of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) and that more community exposure studies of emissions related to animal production are needed. We also asked that EPA consider the combined HAP emission concentrations of multiple smaller animal production facilities in local and regional environments, especially, when weighing the decision to exempt smaller facilities. The combined emissions of numerous small facilities could exceed these reporting requirements. EPCRA laws are critical to enabling communities to better understand their HAP exposures and protect themselves and their communities.