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Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Environment - Proposal calls for 3-year moratorium on CAFOs

Pam Thorp reports in the Richmond Palladium-Item:

Controversy over concentrated animal feeding operations hasn't diminished since the General Assembly adjourned last year, so State Sen. Allen Paul has again introduced a bill that would impose a three-year moratorium on new CAFOs in Indiana.

Paul, R-Richmond, said the largest livestock farms remain one of the biggest issues in eastern Indiana.


"We discussed the issue last year, but this is one of the state's biggest challenges," Paul said. "It's a highly emotional issue. Once the land is gone, it's gone. If we had a moratorium for three years and really worked on this at the state and local level, we could address some of the legitimate issues."

Many Indiana counties are struggling with CAFO regulations. On Monday, the Randolph County commissioners imposed their own moratorium on new CAFOs until studies on seven topics are done, after rejecting a zoning ordinance that would have made 75 percent of the county's land eligible for large livestock factories.

Last Thursday, Delaware County had a packed zoning meeting on a proposed ordinance regulating CAFOs. * * *

Paul's bill wouldn't allow the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to approve any more CAFOs after June 30, 2008, until July 1, 2011. The moratorium would stop the construction of any CAFOs after June 30, even if an application was submitted prior to July 1, 2008.

The bill, S.B. 61, was assigned Tuesday to the Committee on Energy and Environmental Affairs. Paul hoped it would be assigned to the Senate Agriculture Committee, on which he serves.

"I know it could get a hearing (in the Ag committee), but I'll be talking about it with Sen. Beverly Gard (chairperson of the Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee)," Paul said.

Here is a long list of earlier ILB entries referencing "CAFO". North Carolina imposed a 10-year moratorium on new hog farms some years beck. To learn more, start with this March 23, 2007 ILB entry.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 9, 2008 09:05 AM
Posted to Environment