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DEQ Requests Comments on Petition to Promulgate Dairy Air Emissions Regulatory Program
BY Oregonians for Food and Shelter
The Environmental Quality Commission has received a petition for rulemaking to create a dairy air emissions regulatory program. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality invites public comment on whether EQC should direct DEQ to deny the petition, grant the petition and initiate rulemaking proceedings, or pursue another action.
DEQ does not currently regulate air emissions from most agricultural sources which include dairy confined feeding operations (CAFOs). DEQ does permit the construction and operation of manure digesters producing biogas, some of which are part of agricultural operations. The proposed rules in the petition would establish a dairy air emissions program to quantify and regulate air emissions from large dairy CAFOs.
EQC is scheduled to act on the petition at a special session to be scheduled prior to Nov. 15, 2022. If EQC directs DEQ to conduct rulemaking, that process will include an opportunity for public comment on the rule language amendments proposed by the petition.
Public Participation
DEQ will accept written public comments on the petition until 4 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2022. DEQ will summarize in a written report to EQC all comments received by that time.
To view the Notice Document and the Petition, and to submit written comment, please view:
https://www.oregon.gov/deq/rulemaking/Pages/DairyAirPetition.aspx [6]