From: Debbie Neustadt
Representative Leach is the only representative in Iowa that has been
listed as a possible co-signer. I have asked Lane Evans office to fax
Leach's staff person Amy Trotter a copy of the letter. Representative
Leach's DC phone number is 202-225-6576. Ask for Amy Trotter or just leave
a message. Calling in his home district would help also.
The following is from today's Sierra Club Action Daily, in case you missed it.
It is vitally important for the federal government to take action against
large scale hog factories and other concentrated animal feeding operations
(CAFO's).
Tom Mathews
LAST CHANCE TO STRENGTHEN ADMINISTRATION STRATEGY ON ANIMAL FACTORY POLLUTION
- ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SIGN ON TO EVANS LETTER
Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL-17) is circulating a letter to his House colleagues in
a last-minute attempt to persuade EPA and USDA to issue a strong strategy to
control pollution from industrial-style animal factories. With the
Administration set to release its strategy soon, we urgently need to help
Evans recruit members of Congress to co-sign this letter, which will be sent
to EPA Administrator Carol Browner and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.
The Evans letter is in response to a letter 36 members of the House
Agriculture Committee sent to Administrator Browner on February 11. That
letter challenges EPA's legal authority under the Clean Water Act to regulate
huge quantities of animal manure that are polluting rivers, killing fish,
contaminating drinking water, and poisoning the air. It concludes by
threatening to haul EPA officials before the Committee for a hostile hearing.
The Evans letter (below) can help give the Administration the courage it
needs to release a stronger plan to control the largest animal factories.
Its general wording is designed to make it easy for members to sign on. We
particularly need Republicans and members from agricultural states.
The deadline for signing is Wednesday, March 10. Please call your member of
Congress today and ask him or her to sign on to this letter.
For more information, contact Ed Hopkins or Mike Newman.
March 3, 1999
Dear Secretary Glickman and Administrator Browner:
We commend your efforts in creating the USDA/EPA Unified National Strategy
for Animal Feeding Operations. Your cooperative approach recognizes the
importance of livestock, pork, dairy and poultry production to our nation's
economy while signifying the need to ensure that agricultural production is
done in harmony with the environment and public health.
While we believe that the draft strategy is a step in the right direction, it
is clear that more must be done to quickly address the social and
environmental problems resulting from the concentration of the animal feeding
industry. We are pleased that the draft strategy includes requirements for
large-scale confinement operations to adopt proper manure handling, storage,
and land application methods to reduce agricultural runoff. We also support
your efforts to update and expand the number of operations under the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits within the Clean Water
Act. However, as you finalize the strategy we urge you to consider the
following:
Promote sustainable agriculture: Although we support the Administration's
request to increase funds for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program,
the primary source of USDA assistance for animal feeding operation owners and
operators, we are disappointed the draft strategy does little to promote
sustainable agriculture programs as pollution prevention tools. We urge that
the final strategy give priority attention to directing financial, research,
and technical assistance to promote sustainable practices. Economically
viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsible, sustainable
practices has helped many farmers and ranchers be better stewards of their
land through such methods as better soil erosion and nutrient management.
Strengthen measures that allow for public involvement. While we understand
that USDA, EPA, and their state partners have limited financial and personnel
resources, protecting our nation's water resources and public health should
not be compromised. Therefore, we recommend that EPA require individual,
rather than general permits, which not only allow for site-specific, tailored
requirements but also allows citizens to be notified before a large or
expanding animal feeding operation has been established in their community.
Individual permits also provide citizens the opportunity to comment on permit
and permit-related information before and after they are approved, such as
the requirements outlined in a facility's comprehensive nutrient management
plan.
Focus first on CAFO's. Because of the increased threat to water and air
quality posed by the largest animal feeding operations, we urge that efforts
be focused first on permitting CAFO's before considering smaller operations.
Fully evaluate the impacts on all resources. For better accountability and
to ensure compliance, permittees should be required to monitor the ground and
surface water quality surrounding their operations and periodically report
the results to permit authorities. We also urge the strategy to focus beyond
water quality impacts to air, soil and wildlife concerns.
We understand the importance of state and federal programs that provide
voluntary incentives for animal feeding operations to meet environmental and
health safety standards. However, inconsistent state regulations have made
it too easy for large operations to relocate to states with weaker
regulations. Now is the time for the federal government to not only provide
conservation guidance but to also strongly and fully implement the Clean
Water Act to minimize fish kills, well water contamination, public health and
air quality problems affecting communities across the nation.
Once again, we commend your leadership on this crucial issue. We look
forward to working with you on finding common-sense solutions and to timely
implement the Unified Animal Feeding Operations Strategy.
Sincerely,
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