EPA Walks Back Proposal To Curb Water Pollution From Meat And Poultry Plants

"In a move celebrated by US meat and poultry producers but mourned by environment and health advocates, federal regulators are walking back a proposed rule that would have strengthened water pollution standards for slaughterhouse operators.

The move to withdraw the proposed rule was published September 3 in the Federal Register.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that “it is not appropriate to impose additional regulation on the [Meat and Poultry Products] industry, given Administration priorities and policy concerns, including protecting food supply and mitigating inflationary prices for American consumers.”  Additional regulations on the industry’s wastewater would also result in increased air pollution and solid waste, the EPA wrote.

Slaughterhouses and rendering facilities have long come under fire from health and environmental advocates for polluting US rivers and streams with nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients which can contaminate drinking water and cause harmful algal blooms that are harmful to humans and animals."