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§ion=News&storyid=104106 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp