The task force's Internal Combustion Engine and Alternative Fuels subcommittee, meeting Wednesday, will consider sending a recommendation to the USDA urging it to lead a national effort to educate farmers on how to produce biofuel crops "in a manner that reduces air and greenhouse gas emissions." A more detailed document in front of the task force looks at strategies to reduce tillage and to improve fertilizers used and fuel use efficiency.

Task force members also learned about a federal grant that will go toward monitoring the air quality around an egg-laying operation in Cache County involving around 1 million chickens. Two years ago the EPA announced that certain animal feeding operations, including 204 egg-laying operations, were going to start voluntarily taking part in studying their air emissions. The EPA is concerned about the amount of particulate and ammonia egg producers emit into the air.

For more information on the federal Air Quality Task Force, visit the Web site www.airquality.nrcs.usda.gov/AAQTF.

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