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| 12/11/2008 12:07:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Stephen Heuser / Recorder staff
Canajoharie dairy farmer Mike Cole prepares to hook up an automatic milking machine to one of his cows Wednesday. |
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Officials, farmers:
Proposed cow tax is bull
Stephen Heuser
Recorder News Staff
The Environmental Protection Agency is not passing a "cow tax," according to Senior Press Officer Cathy Milbourn, of the EPA's Office of Media Relations.
In a statement made Monday by the EPA, the organization referred to the Clean Air Act, saying it does not give the agency the authority to impose taxes or fees. The CAA attempts to reduce outdoor air pollutants which have been linked to health issues, and to "phase out" the use of chemicals that have been found to harm the ozone, according to an EPA Web page.
Milbourn said she doesn't know where the idea of the tax came from.
According to an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in July, the EPA did inquire if there were provisions under the CAA that would allow emission fee programs, however.
Area Dairy Specialist Dave Balbian on Monday said there were plans for fees on farm animals, based on the proposed tax: $20 per hog; $87.50 per beef cow, and $175 per dairy cow. Balbian, who works for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Central New York, said there is a lot of confusion concerning the possible tax.
Milbourn said she had no idea where those numbers had come from, or the idea of the tax in general.
"Those aren't our numbers," said Milbourn.
According to a press release issued Tuesday from U.S Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the numbers were from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The amounts were based on an estimated tons of methane each animal would produce.
Mike Cole, who owns a farm in Canajoharie, said if the "cow fart tax" is passed, it would hurt his ability to make a profit, with production costs having gone up, citing the price of fuel as one of them.
"And I'm supposed to make a living?" said Cole.
Cole said the amount of money for which he can sell his cow's milk is set, and has been for about 15 years.
"This isn't that profitable," said Cole.
Cole said he believes the tax would simply be a way for the EPA to line its own pockets. The effects of humans on global warming, said Cole, is exaggerated.
"We're going to have a pole shift in 10 years," said Cole, who said the process of global warming has been going on for a long time.
"The idea of imposing a cow tax on our farmers is absurd," said Schumer, in the release. Schumer said he sent a letter to EPA Administrator Steve Johnson about the tax.
"We cannot allow for even a baby step forward to be taken on this idea," said Schumer in the release.
Balbian said from what he knows, it doesn't look like the proposed tax was intended for farm animals, despite people's worries.
"Right now it appears there's a lot of uncertainties whether this is, in fact, the case," said Balbian.
Such a proposed tax, Balbian said, would have a large impact on the price of food, given the amount farmers would have to pay for permits. Balbian said the average farm would probably pay around $20,000 for the permits.
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Contact Stephen Heuser at sheuser@recordernews.com.
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