(Olympia, WA) There’s a new bill proposed by Democrats in Washington state that could tax cow flatulence.
House Bill 1630 would require dairy farms and feedlots to report the annual metric tons of methane emitted by cows in the preceding calendar year. If the methane exceeds CO2 limits, those facilities could become regulated under the state’s Climate Commitment Act – the same law that is blamed for boosting gasoline prices in Washington state.
“So, if they find that there was sufficient methane equivalent to 25 thousand metric tons of CO2 emissions, these facilities would likely come under the Climate Commitment Act as covered entities,” said Colfax Republican Representative Joe Schmick, who opposes the bill. He says it’s an unreasonable attack on agriculture. “You’re asking the growers to pay more taxes, more regulation, in a time when you have record low commodity prices and their costs are astronomical right now. It’s just wrong!”
The cow methane bill is awaiting a public hearing in the House Environment and Energy Committee.
