Defenders of Wildlife
Rural Updates!
January 17, 2005

Joining together to defend wildlife, family farms, and healthy and
delicious food.

FARM BUREAU AD CAMPAIGN - "DELAY AND DECEIT"

According to an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the
Attorney General of Oklahoma last week cancelled talks with the
poultry industry over how to achieve clean water standards in the
state's rivers. The move followed the airing, during the Orange
Bowl, of a Farm Bureau-sponsored ad which stated that the
measures sought by the state would "put farmers out of business
and drive 12,000 jobs out of Oklahoma." Attorney General
Edmonson had been seeking a consent decree that would specify
measures to be taken by Tyson's, Cargill and four other companies
to reduce phosphorous pollution from poultry litter. Calling the
television ad campaign "delay and deceit," Edmonson said,  "My
position is the industry must bear the costs of removal, disposal
and storage of the excess chicken litter that cannot be safely land
applied. The industry and the Farm Bureau believe those costs fall
to the farmer. Farm Bureau is carrying dirty water for the industry.
It's clear that Farm Bureau represents the big companies first, the
farmers second and the environment somewhere after last."

The article is available at:
http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg&section=News&storyid=104106

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