Hi All, Congress is looking to pass a law that would, in essence, take away the already meager protection we have from CAFO pollution. This is a sign-on letter that to the subcommittee that is going to consider this legislation on Wednesday. You can sign as an individual and you can sign as an organization. Please do both! Deadline is Tuesday, November 7. Thanks, Important Action:Congress is Preparing A Gift for Factory Farm Polluters &We Need Your Help to Stop It Dear Community Leader: We have news of a bad bill moving in the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Environment. Though the bill is environmental in substance, the overall impact of the bill is an attack on access to the courts for rural communities. *Specifically, it takes away your right to protect your family and farm animals’ drinking water from factory farm pollution. * The members of Congress pushing this bill are saying that this is an effort to “protect farmers” when what it really is, is an effort to shield agribusiness from being held accountable for pollution, and strip the power from the people impacted by bad practices. On Thursday November 9th, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment will hold a hearing on the discussion draft of the so-called "Farm Regulatory Certainty Act." This proposal seeks to carve rural communities out of federal protections if they are harmed by toxic waste from agricultural operations. Waste generation, storage and disposal from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) have endangered human health, farm animals, and the environment by contaminating groundwater aquifers, releasing pathogenic bacteria into drinking water and recreational waters, and fouling drinking water supplies of communities who are disproportionately reliant on private wells. *ACTION NEEDED: We need you to sign on as many rural people, farmers and ranchers **to this letter <https://goo.gl/forms/m3ZQdwtDxDa40e2F3>** as possible, demonstrating that this effort by Congress will harm rural people. Deadline to sign-on is Tuesday November 7th* The below House members are on the Committee hearing the bill. If you live in any of the below states, Please call the below Congress members and tell them that you vehemently oppose the bill and ask them to do the same. You can reach their office, by calling the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Bill Johnson (R): Ohio Richard Hudson (R): North Carolina Kevin Cramer (R): North Dakota Tim Walberg (R): Michigan Buddy Carter (R): Georgia Greg Walden (R): Oregon Raul Ruiz, Jerry McNerney, Doris Matsui, Tony Cardenas, and Scott Peters (D): California Gene Green (D): Texas Diana Degette (D): Colorado Debbie Dingell (D): Michigan Frank Pallone (D): New Jersey The right of rural communities to protect their health and environment must be protected. Please join us in opposing this unacceptable attack. See below to review the text of the letter, or click here to sign on: https://goo.gl/forms/m3ZQdwtDxDa40e2F3 <https://goo.gl/forms/m3ZQdwtDxDa40e2F3> Socially Responsible Agricultural Project 249 Liberty Street NE, Suite 212 <https://maps.google.com/?q=249+Liberty+Street+NE,+Suite+212Salem,+OR+97301&entry=gmail&source=g> Salem, OR 97301 <https://maps.google.com/?q=249+Liberty+Street+NE,+Suite+212Salem,+OR+97301&entry=gmail&source=g> -- Diana Krystofiak Chair, Southeast Iowa Sierra Club [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] 641-919-3645 <(641)%20919-3645> (cell) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to [log in to unmask] Users of Listserv are subject to the Sierra Club's Terms and Conditions (http://www.sierraclub.org/terms). For more information, see our support site (http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp).