MEDIA STATEMENT

Atlanta, Georgia, October 30, 2018: The below statement is attributable to Chad Gregory, President and CEO of United Egg Producers.  

Updated November 8, 2018

 “United Egg Producers and the nation’s egg farmers welcome today’s proposed rule regarding the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know (EPCRA) Act and are grateful to U.S. EPA and Administrator Wheeler for their efforts to craft a sensible, effective policy that protects the welfare of our communities.   UEP is also grateful to Congress and the members of both parties for the bipartisan passage of the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act earlier this year, which amended the law that led to this rulemaking.

“Credible research has proven there is no value in requiring individual producers to report emissions to emergency response authorities under federal emergency response laws, which were never intended to apply to routine, non-emergency farming activities.   Local emergency response authorities do not want these federally-mandated reports and in fact have rejected some that were submitted by farmers in the past.  UEP farmer-members readily provide the information first responders do want:  emergency contact information, the person in charge, and information directly relevant to the emergency responders’ needs.

“United Egg Producers recently surveyed farmer-members who manage about 179 million hens, or half the U.S. laying flock.  Results indicate that 96 percent of the facilities, responsible for 95 percent of the hens represented in the survey, are already in contact with their local emergency personnel on a yearly basis or more frequently.  About 75 percent of these farmers also provide direct financial support to their local first responders, and over 50 percent have family members or staff that volunteer with the first responders as firefighters or emergency medical service technicians.

“Preserving the land, air and water around U.S. egg farms is a top priority for America’s egg farmers, and responsible farming is a commitment made by UEP’s farmer-members every day.  This rule increases efficiency and reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens, all without sacrificing the environment. UEP looks forward to it becoming final in the near future.”

CONTACT:           Hinda Mitchell, 614.537.8926

About UEP

United Egg Producers (UEP) is a cooperative of U.S. egg farmers working collaboratively to address legislative, regulatory and advocacy issues impacting the industry through active farmer-member leadership, a unified voice and partnership across the agriculture community. UEP’s farmer-members work to provide for the health and well-being of their birds; to produce safe, nutritious, high-quality eggs; and to manage their farms responsibly with best on-farm management practices. Leadership of and participation in the UEP Certified program by the vast majority of egg producers further demonstrates a broad commitment to the care of egg-laying hens. UEP also manages the national Egg Safety Center, a leading resource for consumer and industry information on the safe production of eggs and prevention of disease. Formed in 1968, UEP members represent more than 90 percent of US egg production.