The EPA has officially ended a 20+ year effort to develop air pollution monitoring methods for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), effectively abandoning regulation under the Clean Air Act. The decision comes just before midterm elections and follows a long-standing Air Consent Agreement that has granted the livestock industry amnesty from emission reporting requirements.
Background
CAFOs have been exempt from Clean Air Act enforcement since an early-2000s Air Consent Agreement struck between the EPA and the livestock industry. These facilities emit significant quantities of ammonia, particulate matter, and other pollutants linked to approximately 12,700 annual deaths in the US.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Nov 3, 2026 at 10:49 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10