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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Environment - "Delaware County CAFO moratorium clears first hurdle"

So reports Nick Werner today in the Muncie Star-Press in a story that begins:

MUNCIE -- A moratorium on the building of new concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Delaware County cleared its first hurdle Monday toward becoming law.

Advocates of the moratorium say the measure is necessary because efforts by the Muncie-Delaware County Planning Commission to regulate CAFOs have failed.

"We've hit a brick wall with the plan commission," Commissioner Larry Bledsoe said. "We're going to continue to hit a brick wall with the plan commission."

See also the Star-Press editorial today:
The discussion about confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Indiana has become so divisive that government, from the county level to the General Assembly is experiencing a legislative gridlock.

A prime example of the problem this presents is the case of Stateline Agri Inc. and its owner, Rick Kremer. Stateline, which operates a 1,500-pig CAFO near Union City, was recently blamed for a massive fish kill in the Little Mississinewa River after heavy rains washed manure applied to a farm field into the river. An attorney for Kremer denies his client was at fault. * * *

Kremer has an application pending to increase the size of his Indiana operation, but none of the Ohio complaints can be considered by IDEM under present Indiana law.

It is not for lack of trying. State Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield, said a "good character clause" has been part of CAFO legislation filed in the past, and she expects it to again be considered in the 2009 session. "IDEM has asked for the ability to look at past violations," she said.

According to Gard, a good character clause was part of a CAFO bill that went all the way to conference committee in 2007. She said the bill died because House members refused to support it unless it contained a moratorium on CAFOs.

"Even livestock producers want it," she said, because most producers don't want their reputations tainted by a few problem operators.

Gard said a task force organized by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman that includes representatives from a wide variety of interests, is expected to release a report this fall on the state of CAFOs and CAFO legislation in Indiana. She expects CAFO legislation considered next year will be driven by the contents of the report.

In the meantime, operators like Stateline Agri will continue to get a free ride when it comes to complaints filed in other states.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 19, 2008 09:58 AM
Posted to Environment