The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is walking back its commitment to revise or eliminate an illegal rule exempting factory farms from reporting their hazardous air pollution as they are obliged to do under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). These requirements are essential to protecting public health and the environment.
Compounding the harm these factory farms create, they are disproportionately sited near communities with environmental justice concerns, including those composed of people of color, low-income individuals, and children. Despite this grave harm and environmental injustice, the factory farm industry continues to be protected.
The public, particularly people living close to factory farms, have a right to know about the hazardous air pollution being released by these operations.
A public comment period is now open on EPA’s notice through February 15, 2024. Now is your opportunity to tell EPA that enough is enough – when this industry releases hazardous pollution, people have the right to know when, where and how much.
