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Soybean checkoff compiles state environmental regulations
Environmental regulations can be confusing and challenging for poultry and livestock producers. In some cases, merely keeping track of all the different regulations can be a daunting task. To help make the task easier for animal ag producers, the United Soybean Board funded an audit that compiles environmental regulations in all 50 states into a single resource. "USB wanted to provide a readily available resource that compiled all the variations on local and state environmental regulations," says Lewis Bainbridge, USB Domestic Marketing program chair and a soybean farmer and cattle and hog producer from Ethan, S.D. "This resource should be helpful for poultry and livestock producers looking to expand or just interested in using it as a resource." The report, conducted by CDM, a consulting, engineering, construction and operations firm, provided 750 pages of information that evaluated all of the regulations for animal agriculture in each state and compared the regulations to the existing federal regulations. The report contains details on each state's definition of a confined animal feeding operation, water-quality regulations, air-quality requirements, discharge and other requirements and permitting information as well as information about assistance programs available to producers. The soybean checkoff condensed the full report down to a 220-page book that features a four-page analysis for each state, an introduction of the process to collect the information and a glossary of common terms used throughout the audit. The book also contains a CD with the full 750-page report with more extensive regulation reviews for each state and presentation slides for each state. To learn more about getting a copy of the environmental audit book, contact your Qualified State Soybean Board. For a list of QSSBs, visit www.unitedsoybean.org. Supporting U.S. poultry and livestock producers remains a top priority for USB. U.S. poultry and livestock represent the No. 1 customer for U.S. soybean farmers, consuming nearly all the soybean meal used domestically. "Soybean farmers and poultry and livestock producers need to continue to work together," says Bainbridge. "U.S. poultry and livestock consume a huge amount of soybean meal and represent the original value-added market for U.S. soybeans." USB is made up of 68 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.
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