{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-gillibrand-sanders-warren-markey-urge-epa-and-usda-to-limit-new-incentives-for-factory-farm-biodigesters", "Booker, Gillibrand, Sanders, Warren, Markey Urge EPA and USDA to Limit New Incentives for Factory Farm Biodigesters", "2022-08-24", "2022", "2022-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) warned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against providing new electrification pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for methane biogas from factory farms, and separately expressed concern about plans at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to rely heavily on methane digesters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector.\n\nThe Senators are specifically concerned that efforts at both agencies will increase the number of methane digesters used in industrial livestock operations, which will have unintended negative consequences for agriculture industry consolidation and for environmental justice.\n\nIn a letter to EPA Administrator Regan, the Senators raise concerns about a forthcoming decision at the EPA regarding implementation of certain electrification pathways under the RFS. \u201cOne of the potential RFS electrification pathways could allow methane biogas from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to serve as a qualified feedstock and generate electric renewable identification numbers (e-RINs) under the RFS\u2019 cellulosic mandate,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cWhile we appreciate this administration\u2019s support for electric vehicles (EVs) and transportation electrification, we also urge EPA to ensure that this federal support does not come at the expense of environmental justice communities that are already overburdened with pollution.\u201d\n\nIn a separate letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack, the Senators requested additional information about the agency\u2019s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan for livestock emissions, which relies heavily on expanding the use of methane digesters on factory farms. \u201cTo our knowledge, USDA has not yet produced evidence that subsidizing manure digesters will reduce absolute emissions from the agriculture sector, which is the top source of U.S. methane emissions,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cAdditionally, we remain concerned that USDA has not fully explored or produced evidence of the impacts of manure methane digesters on other key issues. These issues include co-pollutants of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), food system concentration, public health, and heightened community risks for rural, low-income, agricultural-dependent, and Black and Brown communities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-gillibrand-sanders-warren-markey-urge-epa-and-usda-to-limit-new-incentives-for-factory-farm-biodigesters"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8506691083312035, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}