More On Proposed Cow "Gas Tax"

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Dec 8 2008 10:59PM

KXMBTV Bismarck
It's a complicated subject. And it's starting to create a stink in the livestock business

Sarah Gustin explains how it could affect our state and gets to the bottom of why the EPA wants to charge producer's for the gas their cows pass

It's just a natural behavior. And it's seems a little ridiculous-making farmers pay so thier cows can pass gas? Roger Johnson / ND Ag. Commissioner: "To the ultimate extreme it could even include humans, well I don't know if we are going to tax individuals for walking around and breathing, which is kind of what the livestock issue relates to." The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing that it regulate greenhouse gas emissions in all sectorsincluding each and every cow

But do dairy cows produce enough gas for the average North Dakota dairy farm to be charged more than 15-thousand dollars a year

And should the average beef producer be forced to cough up about 95-hundred dollars a year in permit fees? Roger Johnson / ND Ag. Commissioner: "This particular proposal, I just don't see any likely hood that it will go forward, it's controversial, it is silly, it would be extremely difficult to administer." This is how it breaks down. Keeping a dairy cow- $175. A beef cow would cost you $87.50. It would cost you a $20 bill per pig

Johnson says cement and coal plants produce more GHGs than livestock and he doesn't think this proposal will be going very far anytime soon

Roger Johnson / ND Ag. Commissioner: "I don't think using the cap and trade methodology on livestock is a wise way to do it. I think you use cap and trade methodology on the larger sectors that have fairly large point source emissions and then for other sectors,you have incentives or other kinds of public policy tools, that are used to induce people to reduce green house gas emissions." But where do we draw the line. Some producers are worried that the fee could be extended to chickens and other farm animals

Livestock producers aren't alone on this issue. Any field emitting more than 100 tons of carbon would also have to pay a permit fee. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites

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