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Chuck et al: Yes, the package of bills promoted by the
handful of CAFO operators and the Farm Bureau to deregulate most Michigan CAFOs
have hit an effective wall -- the bills were intended to try to exempt most
CAFOs in the state from having to apply for NPDES permits by July 1, as
required by the state now. Without action on those bills in the House
this week, these bills have fallen short of what the promoters of CAFOs had
hoped for. However, they are clearly not done -- their next step is
to try to claim that the state is prohibited from having stricter regulations
than federal in terms of CAFOs, and throw roadblocks in the way of the DEQ
protecting the waters of the state and the public health of people downstream
and down wind. Keep in mind that the MAXIMUM number of
businesses affected by this are somewhere under 150 today, and because multiple
operations may be owned by a single business or owner, the number is even
less. That is compared to 53,000 real farms in Even more important -- after the pro-CAFO
pollution forces have done their best to distract the Legislature from the real
issues, including the desperate need to STRENGTHEN the laws now regarding CAFO
pollution, it is critical for all of us to keep talking to our Legislators
about the problems and urge them to act to FIX the bad laws that leave our
state’s communities and families vulnerable to potentially deadly
pollution from CAFOs. Before I’ve talked about hoping it wouldn’t
take a disaster to force the Legislature’s hand -- we have seen disasters
in the situation with Vreba Hoff Dairy LLC, but seen the pro-CAFO spinners
claim that pollution is only an issue with “bad actors” like Vreba
Hoff. Now my hope is that it at least won’t take documented deaths
from polluted water or air from CAFOs for the Legislature to step up and fix
the terrible problems with the law. Anne Woiwode, State Director Sierra Club (517) 484-2372 From:
owner-enviro-mich@great-lakes.net [mailto:owner-enviro-mich@great-lakes.net] On Behalf Of Chuck Cubbage Friends, According to my State Rep, the Senate CAFO bills, although
passed, will not be taken up in the House and thus is effectively dead for
this year. Regards, Chuck |