Ag Policy Blog

The House on Tuesday passed HR 311 in a voice vote, the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship or FUELS Act.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., would exempt from EPA compliance any individual above ground fuel storage tank smaller than 10,000 gallons. Collectively, farmers would be exempted from EPA regulations if their operation has total aggregate storage capacity under 42,000 gallons. Those farmers with smaller tanks and less than 42,000-gallon capacity would be able to self-certify their compliance.

Farmers with smaller storage capacity still would have to get permits if they have a history of spills on their operations.

The bill comes following EPA updated Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rules adopted in 2009 that lowered the storage capacity and affected a significant number of commercial farm operations.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

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