EPA has withdrawn a Biden-era plan to set stricter water pollution standards for slaughterhouses, a decision that could reignite a legal battle.
Slaughterhouses and meat rendering plants are a leading source of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution, which degrade water quality and can cause harmful algal blooms. Following litigation from environmental groups, the Biden administration last year proposed requiring slaughterhouses to install more advanced pollution control technologies.
Now, the agency is reversing course, citing potential impacts on food prices and small businesses if the regulation was finalized. The proposed rule also conflicted with the Trump administration’s priority of promoting domestic food supplies, EPA said in its withdrawal of the proposal.
Farming industry groups and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised the move as a win for farmers and ranchers.
