In a major legal win for U.S. cattle producers, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) secured a favorable ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The decision affirms exemptions from complex air emissions reporting requirements under two federal environmental laws, shielding family farms and ranches from regulatory overreach.
For years, NCBA and other livestock groups have fought to ensure that family-run operations are not burdened by reporting rules under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Originally designed to manage large-scale chemical spills and industrial contamination, these laws were never meant to apply to biological emissions from livestock.
“These laws were originally intended to address severe chemical spills and environmental contaminants, but according to NCBA, ‘these laws have been weaponized by animal rights activists seeking to target family farms and ranches.’”
The recent ruling upholds a 2019 EPA exemption that removed the requirement for cattle operations to report emissions such as methane and ammonia under EPCRA.
“This ruling upholds a reporting exemption issued by the EPA in 2019 exempting cattle producers from reporting emissions under EPCRA.”
Kaitlynn Glover, NCBA’s Executive Director of Natural Resources, praised the decision:
“CERCLA and EPCRA were intended to address the worst industrial and toxic chemicals, not govern family farms and ranches. This decision affirms that family cattle producers should not have to file reports for a natural, biological process under a law meant for significant chemical contaminants. NCBA stepped up to protect family farms and ranches through this litigation and we are pleased that the federal district court has brought clarity to this decades-long discussion.”
The ruling is seen as a major victory for the U.S. cattle industry, particularly in its ongoing efforts to push back against regulatory overreach in agriculture. It also represents a broader defense of rancher rights, environmental law clarity, and the protection of family farming operations from inappropriate regulatory burdens.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.