Taxing Cow Farts?

I read an article today in News With Views about the EPA setting new rules about methane output from farm animals. According to the article "Under Title V of the Clean Air Act, farmers would pay a hefty permit fee for animals that emit 100 tons of greenhouse gasses annually". This would apply to any farmer with "more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs. The tax is estimated at $175 per dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 per hog". That's some pretty hefty permit costs there for any farmer making his living off his land.

Personally, I'm curious about exactly how they go about measuring how much "methane" any farm animal produces that they can actually figure out how to tax it. I'm not I want to know either....LOL

But really, it seems pretty desperate to me to do this, and I consider it yet another TAX without representation on the average person; because you know these costs will recouped, at least in part, by higher prices in the stores. You can't blame the farmer for that as he has to live also. But really, isn't the "no taxation without representation" what helped kick off the American Revolution and our independence from England? Or am I just dreaming?

Seriously though, there are two bills in Congress right now, the House version H.R. 1426 and the Senate version S. 527. Both seem to say the same thing, so I don't know why the different versions: "(2) CERTAIN EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION- No permit shall be issued under a permit program under this title for any carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, water vapor, or methane emissions resulting from biological processes associated with livestock production"

I'm actually NOT sure what they really say, as I can't find the specific in the "Clean Air" act that is listed (Section 502(f) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7661a(f); but it looks like no permits can be issued? Or are the above mentioned bills an effort to stop this ridiculous idea from being implemented? Lot's more digging to do on this one, and I'll be sure to update it IF I find anything on it, so far though, an hour and half of searching and reading have gotten me nowhere.

I wonder if they'll ever get around to taxing us humans for our "biological processes" since we emit carbon dioxide by breathing, and definitely emit methane emissions too (ever get stuck in a plane or subway with someone having gas issues? It's not pretty).