South Dakota cattle producer Todd Mortenson recently testified at a Senate Committee hearing in favor of the FARM or Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act. He says the measure exempts confined animal feeding operations or CAFOs from reporting air emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act. Mortenson says failure to pass the measure would create a reporting nightmare fraught with red tape.

He says the CERCLA reporting requirement would regulate far more than CAFOs, it would also cover cow calf operations and even buffalo herds, some of which are in state parks.

Mortenson says there’s backing for the FARM Act from both parties in the Senate and in the House.

Mortenson says it’s critical Congress get the FARM Act passed soon because the rule is set to go into effect May 1.