Wichita Standard

Last week, Representative Ron Estes of Kansas authored an opinion piece for the High Plains Journal. In his article, he criticized a new rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that targets small meat processors.

"The Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category—which spills enough ink to do environmental damage—would force small operations to conduct the same burdensome, costly and unnecessary phosphate and nitrogen testing that large-scale meat-processing operations already conduct," Rep. Estes stated. He further expressed concern about "another attempt by D.C. bureaucrats to appease the misguided whims of elites at the expense of hardworking Americans in the middle of the country."

The EPA's proposed regulation aims to enforce similar testing requirements on small meat processors as those currently applied to larger facilities. According to Rep. Estes, this would place an undue financial burden on smaller operations. The Kansas Meat Processors Association has voiced concerns over these changes, suggesting they could negatively impact not only the processing industry but also other agricultural sectors in Kansas.

In response to this proposal, Rep. Estes collaborated with Missouri Representative Eric Burlison to introduce legislation aimed at preventing the implementation of this rule. The bill is titled Banning EPA’s Encroachment of Facilities Act.

The public comment period for this proposed rule ends on March 25, providing an opportunity for concerned citizens to express their views through federalregister.gov.