“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the decision at Christensen Farms in Minnesota, calling it part of the Trump Administration’s effort to reduce regulatory costs while maintaining environmental protections.

“EPA is saving billions of dollars in costs the American people would otherwise see in the prices of the meat and poultry they buy at the grocery store while ensuring the protection of human health and the environment,” Zeldin said.

The move was welcomed by agriculture and meat industry groups, who argued the proposed rule would have forced plant closures, raised food prices and threatened livestock markets. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins called it a “commonsense approach that protects America’s meat and poultry processors and the farmers and ranchers they serve from unnecessary red tape.”

Industry leaders including the National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, and National Turkey Federation issued statements praising the decision as critical to keeping small and mid-sized processors viable. The Meat Institute also said the action would preserve jobs and protect consumers from higher food prices.

EPA said it reached its decision after reviewing public comments and concluding that existing Clean Water Act standards remain sufficient.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Saturday that it will not impose new wastewater discharge regulations on meat and poultry processing facilities, halting a rule proposed in 2024.”