EPA makes a different kind of agricultural concession

Allison Shapiro on June 19, 2009 Comment

The subject of land concessions comes up often in discussions about terrestrial carbon projects. But in the case of the Waxman-Markey (W-M) climate bill, I'm talking about a different kind of agricultural concession: one being made by the EPA.

Potentially only a couple of weeks away from a vote on the most anticipated climate change legislation to reach the House, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson told reporters that her agency is willing to cede offset rulemaking authority to USDA. Jackson said, "At the end of the day, the importance of any carbon offset programme is actually to reduce carbon, and I think there needs to be an important relationship (between USDA and EPA)."

That's the public explanation, but anyone who knows how laws get made knows the real reason; the EPA wants a climate bill passed ASAP, and it needs the support of the House Agriculture Committee to get this one enacted.

While Capitol Hill insiders tell us its unlikely the USDA will get full jurisdiction over U.S. compliance offsets, it is likely that the Agriculture Department will get more oversight over offset rulemaking than it was given in the version of the bill released last month.

Also under debate on the Hill is whether U.S. agricultural emissions reductions will be financed via offsets or an agriculture fund, sending some farmers and agriculture lobbying groups into a tailspin over the potential loss of revenue to farmers in the case of a fund.