The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is leading a coalition of livestock and farm groups in a legal battle against activist efforts challenging the regulatory foundations of pork production. Groups like Food & Water Watch and state-based organizations filed a lawsuit against the EPA and the Biden Administration, seeking major changes to regulations governing Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
At the heart of the lawsuit is a demand to remove exemptions for agricultural stormwater discharges and require all CAFOs to obtain Clean Water Act permits or prove they are not polluting Waters of the United States. The Council warns that if successful, this legal challenge could lead to significant financial burdens, lawsuits, fines, and legal uncertainties for livestock producers, potentially setting back industry regulations.
The council, along with other farm organizations, has intervened in defense of the existing EPA regulations and modern pig farming practices. They argue that such changes to federal regulations should be determined through congressional action, not through judicial reinterpretation
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