Mid-Atlantic Agriculture Leaders Praise EPA Action Bringing Closure to 20-Year-Old Agreement and Ending Decades of Uncertainty for American Farms
PHILADELPHIA — Following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it would not develop emissions estimates as part of the 2005 Animal Feeding Operations Consent Agreement and Final Order (2005 Air Compliance Agreement), agriculture leaders from across the nation, including the Mid-Atlantic, are voicing their appreciation. On Friday, October 30, 2026, EPA also announced that the agency’s enforcement office would work to end obligations tied to the agreement. The agency’s announcement brings closure to a two-decade period of uncertainty for thousands of American farmers.
“Agriculture is the backbone of so many communities across the Mid-Atlantic. Farming is a way of life that drives local economies and feeds our nation,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey. “As a proud Pennsylvania farmer, I know that we need certainty, not years of unanswered questions. I have spoken with hundreds of farmers across our region and have witnessed their commitment to responsible environmental stewardship while providing a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. This long-overdue announcement delivers the clarity farmers deserve, recognizes the realities of modern agriculture, and affirms the Trump EPA’s commitment to commonsense, science-based moves that strengthen both rural communities and American agriculture.”
Agriculture leaders emphasized that EPA’s action recognizes that farmers should not face uncertainty based on outdated information.
What They’re Saying
“Dairy farmers signed up for this study in good faith two decades ago, and they’ve been waiting ever since to find out what it would mean for their farms,” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “You can’t measure a handful of farms years ago and use those numbers to set expectations for thousands of other farms. We appreciate EPA following the data and giving farmers a clear, final answer.”
“Thank you to the EPA for providing Pennsylvania farmers with much-needed regulatory certainty. By protecting farmers from costly and burdensome air-emissions testing requirements on their barns, EPA is allowing our agricultural industry to focus on what It does best: feeding America,” said Chris Hoffman, Pennsylvania State Director for USDA Rural Development. “Supporting our farmers means supporting our food supply, our rural communities, and our nation's future. Well done!”
“EPA’s announcement that it will not establish emissions estimates for animal agriculture is one of several initiatives Pennsylvania agriculture has been advocating for. We are pleased with the decision from President Trump and EPA Administrator Zeldin to sideline an outdated initiative, irrelevant data-based policy that has plagued farmers for 20 years,” said PennAg Industries Association President Christian R. Herr. “Pennsylvania farmers have always been, and continue to be, stewards of the earth by upholding high standards of environmental and regulatory compliance. This is welcomed news and will help animal agriculture continue to grow in Pennsylvania.”
“The Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) thanks the Environmental Protection Agency for ending the indecision of the 2005 Animal Feeding Operations Consent Agreement and Final Order,” said DCA Executive Director Holly Porter. “We have long shared our concerns with EPA that data from the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS) was too outdated to guide modern-day farm regulations. Our Delmarva chicken community is always moving forward with new technology and modernizing how we raise broiler chickens, making it difficult to use limited data from a study conducted more than 20 years ago.”
“Any time we can reduce regulatory burdens and provide some certainty and direction for our producers, it’s a win for rural communities,” said Beth Green, Virginia State Director for USDA Rural Development. “I’m grateful our friends at EPA have taken these steps so our farmers and ranchers don’t have to worry about the government moving the goalposts on them. That benefits everyone in rural Virginia.”
“America’s egg farmers applaud U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the Trump administration for taking long-awaited action on outdated air compliance measures...UEP advocated that the NAEMS data on bard design and egg production practices no longer represent how most egg farms operate today, and the EPA’s decision to terminate the agreement was welcome news to the egg industry,” said United Egg Producers (UEP).
Background
The 2005 agreement followed a National Academy of Sciences report that called for better ways to estimate emissions from Animal Feeding Operations, including livestock and poultry farms that raise animals in confinement. EPA offered farms the chance to sign a voluntary agreement and take part in the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study to help develop emissions estimation methods. The Trump EPA concluded that the data collected from 2005 to 2007 are too old and too limited to support reliable emissions methodologies. As a result, the agency will not finalize those methods under the 2005 Air Compliance Agreement