Air, Water & Solid Waste
Air
Protecting the air we breathe is a critical obligation of all industries. Meat and poultry companies comply with a variety of state and federal laws that control releases from plants into the air and embrace technologies designed to enhance air quality.
Government Links
- Air Emissions Monitoring Study
- EPA Guidance: Air Pollutant Emission Factors, including Food and Agricultural Industries (1998)
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program
- Food Processors Industry Specific Reporting Guidance (1998)
- Clean Air Act and Regulations
- Clean Air Act Summary
- EPA's Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act
Water
Not only is water a fundamental part of the environment, it is also vital to meat and poultry companies. Water is used to sanitize plants and products and can be an ingredient in processed products. Ensuring the purity of the water brought into and released from plants is vitally important and regulated by a host of state and federal laws.
Government Links
- Clean Water Act (CWA)
- EPA Rules: Effluent Guidelines Meat and Poultry Products (MPP)
- EPA Rules: Oil Program at EPA - Information on Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures (SPCC) Rule
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
- EPA Office of Wastewater Management
- EPA Biennial Water Quality Reports to Congress
- EPA Water Quality Criteria
- EPA Water Quality Standards
Solid Waste
Like all consumers, manufacturing operations generate refuse, which must be handled and disposed of according to local, state and federal laws. Meat and poultry plants also must address issues related to the disposal of animal manure.
Government Links
- Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act(RCRA)
- Superfund: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
- Animal Feeding: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
- EPA Recycling Website