UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers major changes in farming and water quality regulations, researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are providing a free guide that will help citizens understand the issues and implications.

"Shaping New EPA CAFO Rules: A Guide to the Proposals and Comment Process" is a fact sheet assembled by Charles Abdalla, associate professor of agricultural economics, and Alyssa Dodd, extension associate in agricultural economics and rural sociology.

"The guide highlights the important parts of the EPA-proposed regulations on large-scale animal agriculture or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO)," Abdalla explains. "Farmers and other citizens have until July 30 to comment. Proposed last December, the regulations are extensive and complex -- even for people who work in this area.

"This is the first major change in the regulations since the mid-1970s," he says. "Farmers and others involved with agriculture have the opportunity to influence the regulations and shape national policy. The guide helps people to understand the various components of the regulations -- particularly those that are important to Pennsylvania -- and to learn how they can make effective comments before the deadline. It's designed to help people grasp the big picture."

The fact sheet explains how to tell if a farming operation is a CAFO, highlights the changes proposed in the regulations and gives specific suggestions on how anyone can make effective comments to the EPA.

"Audiences that will find the fact sheet useful include people involved in animal agriculture -- such as farmers, agribusiness, feed suppliers, processors and related businesses -- anyone interested in water quality and the environment, and public decision-makers and elected officials. Township officials, for instance, need to know how the coming federal requirements will affect them," Abdalla says.

Abdalla says that EPA's willingness to hear from all sources provides citizens with an extraordinary opportunity to take part in important public policymaking. "Everyone benefits from broader public participation, as it stimulates discussion and more perspectives," he says. "These are complex issues."

The guide suggests both strategies for commenting as an individual and as a business or organization. It outlines submission requirements and offers seven tips on how comments can achieve maximum impact with agency reviewers.

"Be sure to cite the specific section of the proposed regulation that you're commenting on," Abdalla says. "It's also better to comment on changes to the requirements than to make broad statements."

Copies of the guide are available from Dr. Abdalla at 814-865-2562. The fact sheet also will be posted on the Web at http://agenvpolicy.aers.psu.edu/cafo/.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Charles Abdalla at 814-865-2562.

Contacts:

Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax