Senate panel OKs Idaho bill on cow manure pollution

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A Senate panel on Thursday approved legislation that’s the product of Idaho's hundreds of thousands of cows and the 50 million pounds (23 million kilograms) of cow manure they produce daily.

The Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee voted 5-3 to send to the full Senate the bill requiring state officials to consider economic ramifications when imposing pollution regulations on farms and ranches producing manure to protect nearby communities and the environment from pollution.

The bill has been promoted by by the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Idaho Cattle Association, J.R. Simplot Co. and other agricultural groups.

The legislation follows an unsuccessful attempt by agriculture groups to weaken current standards involving the amount of cow manure that can be put on fields. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture declined to weaken those standards, citing scientific research that sets best practices for pollution control.

Cow manure can be used as a fertilizer for crops. But it contains phosphorous that can pollute waterways through direct runoff or by traveling through water underground and coming out in springs.

According to the state agriculture department, Idaho cows produce about 13 billion pounds (6 billion kilograms) of milk annually valued at more than $2.2 billion. That makes it the state's top agriculture industry.

Backers of the bill said pollution regulations shouldn’t be so onerous that they force ranches, farms and companies out of business — and that economic considerations need to be among the primary considerations before such rules are enacted to protect the environment.

Opponents said the new law will cause the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to put economic considerations ahead of protecting the environment. They...