I write this because in April of this year, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on a lawsuit environmental groups filed against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the agency finalized a rule that provided a narrow exemption for reporting the low-level emission of ammonia from poultry houses under CERCLA and EPCRA.

On April 11, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated the exemption secured under CERCLA and EPCRA. Animal agriculture needs to be aware of and develop a comprehensive plan to address this adverse decision.