Peach Tree Times

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has criticized President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), accusing it of enforcing costly and unnecessary regulations on meat and poultry processors across the country. He alleged that these measures politicize Georgia's primary industry and confirmed that the state is pushing back against them.

"President Biden's EPA is attempting to impose costly & unnecessary regulations targeting thousands of meat & poultry processors across the country," said General Chris Carr, according to X. "They're playing politics with our state's leading industry, & we're fighting back."

The EPA has proposed amendments to the regulation governing the Meat and Poultry Products category at 40 CFR Part 432. According to the Effluent Guidelines webpage provided by the EPA, this proposal offers three options. The EPA's preferred choice is to introduce stricter effluent limitations for nitrogen and phosphorus. This change would affect approximately 850 of the 5,000 MPP facilities nationwide, with anticipated reductions in pollutants discharged by roughly 100 million pounds annually.

Attorney General Chris Carr x post | x

Carr, along with 26 other attorneys general, has voiced objections to the EPA's proposed rule. According to a press release by their office, they argue that it exceeds statutory authority, underestimates compliance burdens, and conflicts with efforts to strengthen food supply chains. Their concerns originate from a settlement agreement between the EPA and environmental advocacy groups, which casts doubt on due process and transparency in the regulatory process.

Carr was appointed as Georgia's attorney general by then-Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 and was re-elected in November 2022. Since taking office, Carr has prioritized issues such as human trafficking, gang activity, and opioid misuse. His tenure includes establishing Georgia's first Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Gang Prosecution Unit. According to the Office of the Attorney General, Carr also served as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development during which Georgia received recognition as a top state for business with significant investment and job creation.