Milk containers a factor in oil spills?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States moved to exempt milk and milk product containers permanently from the Oil Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures rule, "potentially saving the milk and dairy industries more than USJ$140 million a year," according to an EPA new release.

The rules, in place since the 1970s, require facilities storing more than 1,320 gallons of oil to create and implement plans to prevent and respond to oil spills. "The rule is intended to prevent damage to the inland waters and shorelines of the United States," says the release.

The release says milk containers are regulated separately. Dairy farmers can give credit to Barack Obama for this. The release says: "This announcement is consistent with President Obama's executive order on regulatory reform, which requires federal agencies to design cost-effective, evidence-based regulations that are compatible with economic growth, job creation, and competitiveness." Not explained is how bulk milk tanks, which bear a passing resemblance to oil storages, got brought under this rule to govern oil spills to begin with. BF