Third-generation South Dakota rancher Todd Mortenson testified before the US Senate - in support of The Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act, which would prevent the federal government from regulating nearly 200,000 animal agricultural operations as if they were toxic Superfund sites.

"I manage 1,295 cattle on 19,000 acres of land,” Mortensen explained in his testimony. “The concentration of emissions is extremely low, because my cattle are spread over such a large area. However, CERCLA reporting requirements do not take concentration into account - only release. It makes no difference whether my cattle are spread over 10 acres or 10,000 acres. If my 1,295 cattle emit over 100 pounds of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide per day, I am required to report their emissions to the U.S. Coast Guard and EPA."

Mortensen delivered his testimony at a hearing of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight.

No decision has yet been made.