Call it what it isn't By Curt Andersen News-Chronicle "A man of knowledge increaseth strength." So says Proverbs 24:5 (King James Version.) We say it as, "Knowledge is power." It follows that keeping people in the dark will limit their power. This is the reason why our Republican legislature is running so many bills in the fast track these days. Serious discussion of the shortcomings of these bills must be limited, if they are to pass. We saw this in the recent phony "Jobs Creation Act." We are seeing it again in the "Livestock Siting Bill" (AB 868) which is currently churning through the Wisconsin's legislature. This bill will facilitate the establishment of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), also known as "factory farms," and will restrict, if not eliminate, the ability of local government to limit those operations. Factory farms/CAFOs can only operate if they have a Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit. These farms are regulated under the Federal Clean Water Act and state water law because of their potential to negatively impact water resources. The WPDES permit regulates where and how much waste can be spread on fields, how the waste is temporarily stored in lagoons, and the design of a permanent runoff control system. It's a fairly simple matter of regulating the amount of cow or piggy poo that will get into your well water or nearby creek. Agriculture is the number-one source of water pollution in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that agricultural practices in the U.S. have impaired 60% of our rivers and streams, 50% of our lakes, ponds and reservoirs and 34% of our estuaries. Factory Farms disrupt the local rural economy. Small family farms create 10% more permanent jobs in the local economy, spend 20% more in local retail sales, and increase local per capita income 37% more than factory farms. Livestock operations grossing under $400,000 a year spend 79% of their business expenditures within a twenty-mile radius of the family-run farms. Studies of people living near swine factory farms have found higher numbers of respiratory problems and behavioral changes. A friend in North Carolina tells me that he cannot leave his house on nice summer days or nights, or dare to open the windows when the wind is coming from the direction of a factory farm two miles from his home. The ammonia smell is so strong that it is difficult to breathe, let alone do yard work or enjoy a nice walk. He also told me that the ammonia is causing the paint on his house to peel off. One totally democratic aspect of the pollution and the stench is that the rich will be affected by it at the same rate as the poor, and maybe worse because the rich have big homes out in the country. Air quality does not fall within consideration of the bill or DATCP standards. Breathing ammonia, hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) downwind of feedlots and manure lagoons is not a concern of this bill. Did I mention that you would be affected by the stench? Did I mention this would kick the stuffing out of your property's value? Many people have serious reservations about this bill as drafted. The phrase "public health and safety" is undefined. It could be interpreted to apply only to large populations, eliminating consideration for individuals or families. Safety risks from manure lagoon failures could be seriously underestimated. Underestimation of such failures is reminiscent of the HMS Titanic disaster. (" What could possibly go wrong?") There is great potential for leakage... that means into streams and ground water. When a stream is destroyed, one can just drive north 100 miles to fish, even though that stream belongs to everyone. It is not just the property of the irresponsible factory farmer. When groundwater is contaminated in your area, who or what will help you get potable safe water into your home? Who came up with the two-mile limit for air and water pollution? It implies that contamination of air and water stops exactly two miles from a feedlot. I do know that on a nice warm day, with even light winds from the south, I can smell the stench from Kaukauna ten miles north of Green Bay, a total of 22 miles, as the crow flies. (For years I thought it was the skunk cabbage blooming.) Property owners outside the two-mile limit will have no rights for claims against the operation. The bill requires "scientific findings of fact" for complaints. Such studies take a lot of time, effort, and money...impossible for strapped local governments to accomplish. This is an attempt to legitimize the rights of big agribusiness concerns to establish an operation where perhaps there are only a few dozen local folks impacted. Once a feedlot is up and running, it will be virtually impossible to shut it down even if many health problems arise. It is very clear that big business is trying to remove ALL resistance from local citizens and local government. There is no other reason for proposing a "review board". This is blatantly anti-democratic. The day that this bill passes and is signed by the governor, it will be too late for any town to stop these factory farms. Development of CAFOs will be contrary to the interests of the real estate and tourism industries as well. Who would willingly patronize a restaurant downwind of a factory farm? How many folks would build a house in an area of strong stench? This bill should not attempt to force all counties to come under this proposal. There is no advantage for FAMILY farmers in this bill, so support by family farmers is inexplicable. Concentrating one species in a small area is highly artificial, and invites disease outbreaks and defies good sense because of the concentration of manure. Reasonable people would not invest money in such enterprises. Concerned citizens should examine the first two pages of the bill (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ 2003/data/AB868hst.html -- click on the blue print AB 868). Contact your legislators via legislative hotline: 800-362-9472. Curt Andersen is a Green Bay native. He is a 4-year Navy veteran (Communications Technician, CTO2), owns a small business, is vice president of Clean Water Action Council, and is an adjunct instructor at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. You may contact Mr. Andersen at [email protected]