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Ah, spring! That magic time of year when the flowers
poke their heads up through the soil and the redwing blackbird is heard singing
from the tops of trees near wetlands! After several years it seems we can also count on another
predictable annual rite of spring: manure flowing in the streams!! For
the start of the 2006 “spring manure season”, go to http://www.nocafos.org/news.htm --
too bad we don’t have smell-a-vision for a full range of sensory experiences!
As we have found over the years, where someone is watching pollution problems
like these are sometimes caught, but this time of year many discharges may well
not be caught, as DEQ staff have no funds to monitor waterways or even to respond
to all the problems, and in some cases, where the facilities are under
voluntary programs, DEQ staff defer to MDA even on water quality problems. Meanwhile, in Among those who spoke was a woman who with her husband has
lived for fifty years on their turkey farm in Lenawee County, who explained
that 2 ½ years ago they noticed dirt piles across the road. When they
learned a 4000 head hog CAFO was to be built, one that it turns out was told by
MDA that it should not be built in this spot because it was far too close to at
least three homes, this couple and others collected 178 signatures in
opposition, but no one from the state or local government could do anything
about it. Their life has been turned upside down, and they and their
neighbors have no good options -- can’t sell their houses because no one
will buy them, and they can barely stand to live there because of the horrible
stench and noise of squealing hogs. Other testified about consistent
water testing results showing severe pollution from CAFOS, health effects,
property values being destroyed, etc. Last night the CAFO promoters came to testify, including the
Pork Producers, Michigan Milk Producers, the Cattlemen’s Association and
Farm Bureau. Ironically, none of the three who actually have their own
operations who testified have obtained the voluntary certification under the
Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) that the bills
are supposed to promote (one is in the process). Two of them are too
small to be required to obtain NPDES permits under current regulations unless
they have illegal discharges, and the third has already come under permit but
his experience was being portrayed by Farm Bureau as that of someone who had
come under MAEAP, not under the permit process. Some very important questions were raised by Reps. Mayes,
Sheltrown, Spade and Kathleen Law of the Committee, including set backs from
CAFOS, siting requirements, the conflict between this package and federal Clean
Water Act delegation. Unfortunately, a lot of the answers were not clear
or complete, or were not accurate. Rep. Sheltrown read from a letter
submitted by Pete Travis of After the producers were given more than an hour to testify,
Sierra Club and MEC were allowed to testify, followed by a citizen and Farmers
Union (who were almost prevented by testifying when the Chair failed to call on
the representative). The hearing became quite testy as several backs and forth
between the Chairman and testifiers ensued, and questions were raised about
whether the locked doors to the Anne Woiwode, State Director Sierra Club Mackinac ( 517-484-2372 fax 517-484-3108 Enjoy, Explore and Protect - www.michigan.sierraclub.org "We know what to do. We have everything we need
save the political will - which is, after all, a renewable resource. This is the
time. This our moral moment and [I am confident] we will rise to the
occasion." Former Vice President Albert Gore, at the Sierra Club |