ALBANY – The State Senate has passed legislation sponsored by Senator Jennifer Metzger (D, Rosendale) to aid dairy farmers in complying with environmental regulations to address water that collects in waste tires used to hold down tarps placed over silage and feed. They are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
State Department of Environmental Conservation regulations require new handling of waste tires including cutting them in half, drilling holes in them, or disposing of them and finding new ways to cover silage, all of which Metzger noted can be costly.
Her legislation would alleviate the cost burden of the new regulation and help farmers to comply.
Orange County has been funding a county-wide program to help farmers with waste tire remediation for some time. Metzger’s legislation would expand the program across the state and offer funding.
