[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3525-S3526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Heinrich):
  S. 2479. A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish 
an alternative manure management program, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Converting Our 
Waste Sustainably, COWS, Act of 2023. This legislation will help dairy 
and livestock producers reduce methane emissions, improve air and water 
quality, and implement more sustainable alternative manure management 
practices.
  As the top dairy State in the country and the second in cheese 
production, California is the largest producer of milk, butter, and 
cheeses like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and queso fresco. Dairy 
operations contribute billions of dollars to California's economy but 
are also responsible for 60 percent of California's methane emissions.
  Recognizing the urgency of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions like 
methane, California and the dairy industry are on track to reduce dairy 
methane emissions by 40 percent by 2030 largely due to the successes of 
California's own Alternative Manure Management Program.
  The COWS Act would establish an Alternative Manure Management Program 
to help dairy and livestock producers transition toward pasture-based 
management, alternative treatment and storage practices, solid 
separation systems, and scrape technologies.
  This voluntary program, modeled after California's extremely 
successful Alternative Manure Management Program, will provide more 
resources for the dairy and livestock industry to modernize 
technologies for manure management that help boost profitability, 
improve water quality, and reduce methane and nitrogen oxide emissions 
by fostering climate-smart farming.

[[Page S3526]]

  The bill also makes composting eligible for funding under the 
Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation 
Stewardship Program.
  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural operations is 
critical to addressing the climate crisis. Because of the high 
construction and operation costs associated with anerobic digesters, 
nondigester manure management practices can provide a more cost-
effective alternative for family dairy and livestock operators seeking 
to improve profitability while improving air and water quality for 
their communities.
  I would like to thank my colleagues, Senators Brown and Heinrich, for 
their leadership in reducing agricultural methane emissions and 
Representative Costa for championing this bill in the House.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the COWS Act as 
quickly as possible.

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