A proposed federal tax on cow “emissions” would cost New York’s dairy farmers more than $110 million a year and put 30-40 percent of them out of business.
That’s according to the New York State Farm Bureau and Cobleskill dairyman John Radliff, a Farm Bureau state director.
“It’s political correctness and environmentalism gone to the extreme,” said Mr. Radliff. “It’s bureaucracy out of control. It’s myopic and foolhardy. Just where do these people think their food comes from?”
At issue is a new permit proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency that would force NYS farmers to pay a yearly permit fee to stay in business, claiming that farm animals are emitting massive amounts of greenhouse gases in their manure, explained NYFB President John Lincoln.
The tax for dairy cows could be $175 per cow and any dairy with more than 25 cows would need a permit. Beef cows and hogs would also be taxed, but at a lower rate.
Mr. Radliff estimates the tax would cost him $17,500 every year and put him out of business.
“I won’t do it,” he said. “I couldn’t do it. Where am I supposed to get another $17,500? From the money tree in my barn yard?”
Not only is the EPA barking up the wrong tree, Mr. Lincoln said, with milk prices dropping and the economy in a shambles, it’s the wrong time as well.
“The country is facing considerable economic challenges,” he said. “We cannot believe that they would even consider this, given the impact it will have on the upstate rural economy. This is not the way to ensure that New Yorkers have food on their table.
“[This would] make it virtually impossible to run a farm. Then, unregulated, large agriculture from China and other countries will step in to fill the void. Regulating New York farms without addressing equal emission in China and other nations will do little to address the global issues, and only penalize...us.”
The EPA proposal got its start in 2007 after a Supreme court ruling prompted by a Massachusetts lawsuit calling for greenhouse gas regulations on auto makers; attorney generals in several states, including New York, have been filing court actions against the EPA calling for the agency to either allow state regulations or come up with national standards.
The EPA has received more than 100,000 responses to the proposal so far and though it’s unclear whether it will eventually become law, both Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Radliff said it’s dangerous to assume it’s too ridiculous to pass.
“But can we as farmers and consumers take that chance?
The EPA doesn’t care about the economy. Or farmers. Or safe food,” Mr. Radliff said, “Their department is the environment. We all need to start screaming. We should be all be marching on Washington with our pitchforks and torches.”
Carbon dioxide and methane are among the byproducts of cow manure; the industrial and transportation sectors also emit what are commonly lumped together as greenhouse gases, Mr. Lincoln said.
However, Mr. Radliff pointed out that while 20 years ago there were 25 million cows in the United States, today there are just nine million.
“We’re doing our part,” he said. “We’ve become a lot more efficient. We’ve lowered our impact on the environment. Again, I ask the question: Where do we want our food to come from?”
Mr. Radliff has been on the phone contacting local legislators; offices and urged them to do the same.