We're All Safer Now
New Environmental Protection Agency regulations treat spilled milk like oil, requiring farmers to build extra storage tanks and form emergency spill plans.
Local farming advocates says it's ridiculous to regulate a liquid with a small percentage of butter fat the same way as the now-infamous BP oil spill.
"It's just another, unnecessary over-regulation by the government just lacking any common sense," said Bill Robb, dairy educator for Michigan State University Extension...
The EPA regulations state that "milk typically contains a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil. Thus, containers storing milk are subject to the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program rule when they meet the applicability criteria..."
Dr. T:
You can see why I disagree with Warren Meyer's opinion that government workers generally are good and smart but are forced by the system to make bad decisions. This interpretation of EPA regulations required the active input of stupid persons who want to throw their weight around. So, dairy farmers get screwed, production costs go up, and we, the people, pay more for all our dairy products, all because some stupid assholes in the EPA are on a power trip.
June 25, 2010, 3:15 pmMichael:
If you read down far enough, this wasn't the act of a stupid person, but an act of a big company paying the government to put a little company out of business.
June 25, 2010, 10:26 pmBrian, follower of Deornoth:
Milk is radioactive, too. Better not tell them that, though.
June 25, 2010, 11:57 pmBob Smith:
Dairy farmers are the tip of the iceberg. Liquids that are 100% "non-petroleum oil", like any vegetable oil (corn, soybean, olive, peanut, etc) are far better candidates for this absurd regulation than milk is. I wonder, though, when EPA got regulatory authority over food products.
June 26, 2010, 1:46 amMikeinAppalachia:
So, should there be a "milk spill", will ObIwon suspend milking cows for 6 months?
June 26, 2010, 9:51 amJens Fiederer:
Noted on my blog that it has been announced that would not be a problem - worth mentioning, but probably should provide context: http://dairyline.com/releases/06042010idfa.htm
June 26, 2010, 1:47 pm