U.S. House bill will limit CAFO spending and protect vulnerable communities from harmful water and air pollution

WASHINGTON— The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Improvement Act introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives would direct more federal conservation funding to agriculture projects that enhance water and air quality, reduce harmful emissions, and protect nearby communities, according to SELC. 

The bill, introduced by Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT), follows a bipartisan Senate bill led by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-UT) in March. The legislation would remove an arbitrary requirement for 50 percent of EQIP funds to flow to livestock operations, much of which goes to large industrial-sized operations using polluting waste management practices, and would limit spending on practices that are particularly harmful to the air, water, soil, climate, and communities.  In addition, the bill would increase access to federal conservation funding for small and emerging farmers, who are often unable to access this funding. 

“This bill would help protect vulnerable communities in North Carolina and across the country that have been and continue to be plagued by pollution from industrial animal operations by directing critical funding to farmers who are investing in climate-smart and environmentally- friendly practices,” said Blakely Hildebrand, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center.  
 
EQIP is a voluntary program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides technical assistance and funding to farmers seeking to implement practices that improve water quality, enhance soil health, and reduce heat-trapping gas emissions. For years, however, EQIP funds have gone to large, industrial-scale operations that use practices that may do more harm than good for the environment and nearby communities.  For example, among other projects, EQIP funding has been used to build manure digesters, which may exacerbate existing pollution problems and entrench harmful practices at industrial animal operations.   

The program has become chronically oversubscribed. In fact, only one-third of farmers that applied for funding between 2010 and 2020 received contracts. This is in part because industrial-size operations soak up large portions of states’ EQIP budgets, leaving little for small farms. This bill will ensure that smaller and beginning farmers have access to EQIP funds and are able to carry out conservation practices that enhance environmental and community health. 

“Taxpayers should not subsidize practices that pollute our environment and contribute to our climate crisis. And all farmers should have a fair shot at access to funding for true conservation practices,” Hildebrand continued. “We commend these lawmakers for their effort to reduce federal spending on industrial-scale animal production and help protect impacted families and communities.” 
 
Outdated practices, like the use of cesspits and sprayfields for the disposal of hog manure, lead to water pollution, drinking water contamination, methane emissions, and air pollution. This pollution can lead to higher rates of respiratory disease and other adverse health outcomes for neighboring communities and contribute to the climate crisis.  In North Carolina, pollution from industrial hog operations disproportionately impacts nearby Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, making this an environmental justice issue. 

Negotiations on the 2023 Farm Bill will continue to ramp up when lawmakers return to Washington next month. SELC supports the inclusion of the EQIP Improvement Act in this year’s Farm Bill.