Protest EPA's New "Egg Sell-Out" Agreement  

  November 8, 2000

TAKE ACTION!!  Protest EPA's New "Egg Sell-Out" Agreement

 Call or write EPA today to protest its Sell Out to the Egg Producing Industry!  The CWN Feedlot Workgroup was outraged to learn that EPA has finalized an agreement with United Egg Producers that would waive individual Clean Water Act permtting requirements for all participating facilities.  Instead, egg producers will be covered by vague, nonspecific general permits that will be difficult to enforce and will apply to multiple facilities, making it very difficult for citizens to comment effectively on egg producers in their communities. 

 Now that it's done, why does it matter?  Because we are fighting for individual, stringent permits for all CAFOs under the new rule that EPA will propose in December. If we don't make EPA feel pain for this decision, we will never get them to do the right thing in the final rule.

Call or write Carol Browner at 202-564-4700 or:

Carol M Browner

1101A

USEPA Headquarters

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.

Washington, DC 20460

Points to make

(1)  These companies have a horrible record in their communities for fouling their waters, polluting their air, and tormenting their neighbors with disgusting odors, flies, and vermin.

(2)  EPA and states need to regulate them stringently and enforce the law, not give them regulatory breaks and rely on them to self-police

(3)  This is a backroom deal that had no real stakeholder process -- no national, state, or local environmental group knowledgeable about this issue was involved.  It is no accident that the sweetheart deal that resulted is one that cuts off effective community participation in the permitting process.