We don’t doubt that it would be a big mess if a storage tank containing thousands of gallons of milk were suddenly to rupture and spill its contents. But would any reasonable person liken that to the environmental hazard of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico?
Well, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does. It has classified milk as “oil.” Why? Because milk contains some animal fat — even though it is biodegradable and certainly is nothing like petroleum.
Under the EPA’s regulation, come November, dairy farmers would have to develop and put into place expensive plans to prevent spills from their milk storage tanks. That process could cost thousands of dollars, a spokesman for the Michigan Farm Bureau told The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, and that would mean higher prices for consumers.
“This is an example of where we have overreach by the department that defies common sense,” said Matt Smego, of the Michigan Farm Bureau.
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have proposed a bill that would forbid the EPA to enforce such ridiculous rules about milk storage.
It is a sign of how absurd some federal regulation has become that such legislation should even be necessary.