EPA Tax Denied

A condition was added Thursday to the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill to preempt the taxing of cattle. Fear arose among American livestock producers after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared methane a hazard, as cattle are a major source of methane gas. Republican senator John Thune has spoken out against the prospect of a “cow tax” for more than a year, and addressed the issue on Thursday during Senate debates. According to EPA estimates, cattle produce approximately 5.5 million metric tons of methane per year, comprising 20 percent of US methane emissions. Thune called the condition “a great victory for South Dakota’s livestock producers and our rural economy.”