We believe EPA failed to consider the significant adverse effects which these regulations will have on hundreds of thousands of farmers nationwide. Propane is an important commodity in rural America with about 1.5 billion gallons being used on approximately 660,000 farms.
Uses vary from grain drying and heating of livestock facilities to a host of rural residential uses.
Most farms are located in areas beyond the reach of the gas lines that serve the typical urban consumer. And, propane, while indeed a gas, is safely transported and stored as a liquid when subject to a modest amount of pressure. The farm leader said that due to the highly technical nature of the program, most farmers would find it necessary to contract with service providers in order to meet their obligations under the new EPA rules. The average cost of completing a risk management plan will be several thousand dollars per site. Farms that have storage for more than 2,358 gallons of propane will be subject to the EPA rules.