Occasionally I’ll read something that sets my head to shaking left, then right, and I’ll mumble, “you gotta be kidding!”
It happened again last week after receiving a copy of resolutions conceived by the Newton County Farm Bureau board and approved by a majority vote of members during their meeting in Jasper.
With limited space, I’ll share what strikes me as the bureau’s four most relevant yet nonbinding resolutions as they pertain to our state wrongheadedly permitting the controversial hog factory in the Buffalo National River watershed.
Resolution One: “Whereas the EPA and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality have worked to formulate permitting to entities to operate under exacting guidelines for Confined Animal Feeding Operations, whereas documented scientific testing and studies have concluded these guidelines meet or exceed safeguards to protect the environment and general public, whereas certain radical environmental groups have challenged these proven and accepted guidelines based on emotion, supposition and unscientific reasoning, therefore be it resolved that existing CAFO rules be deemed adequate and sufficient in determining permitting eligibility and subsequent agency oversight.”
Resolution Four: “Whereas individuals with agendas against farmers and agriculture can make complaints to ADEQ or any state or regulatory agency, whereas these complaints are often unfounded or bogus and are intended for harassment, whereas ADEQ or any state or federal regulatory agency, by law, is required to investigate these complaints, whereas these instances take up valuable time and resources, be it resolved when such claims are made out of spite and are frivolous, individuals shall be compelled to compensate both the farmer and the state or federal regulatory agency involved for such action.”
Resolution Five: “Whereas the ‘endangered species’ criteria sees to take precedence over other considerations, whereas this designation often hinders or halts other important considerations, whereas Farm Bureau policy and legislative action have set the following priority criteria as it pertains to water—water for human consumption first, agriculture needs second and recreation third—be it resolved such considerations be given to ‘endangered species’ whose habitat is water.”
Resolution Seven: “We encourage a ‘user fee’ for individuals using the Buffalo River to offset Emergency Service Funding for volunteer fire departments, first responders and law enforcement to be levied on hotel rooms, canoes and other tourist services, payable to county general fund. Said fund fee of $1 or more per individual. Newton, Searcy, Marion and Baxter County residents shall be exempted.”
One Newton County Farm Bureau member of about 100 attending the
meeting said it bothered him that the three owners of C&H Hog Farms are Farm Bureau members and two of those are on the board that fashioned the resolutions.
Dist. 83 State Rep. David L. Branscum of Marshall also spoke at the meeting. He told me he didn’t have any specific comments on these resolutions.
None of this attitude and selfserving agenda comes as a surprise to me, especially considering how the ADEQ so kindly shepherded the General Permit for this swine factory in the national river’s watershed through its process so quickly and quietly.
I can say with certainty there are a number of respected and experienced geoscientists (who also have not a thing against authentic farmers or agriculture) who say they’ve already documented elevated levels of microbes and contaminants downstream of the factory since our state approved it. The factory is allowed to house as many as 6,500 swine in the watershed and began spraying the resulting waste across fields on the porous karst-riddled ground surrounding Big Creek, a major tributary of the Buffalo.
Re-inflated balloon?
I enjoyed the sight of glowing hot air balloons all firing gas thrusters in the cool of Saturday’s twilight. It was the state’s annual September hot air balloon show and races in Harrison.
There in a lawn chair, the metaphor between these colorful, magical balloons and the Razorbacks’ loss to the University of Toledo Rockets earlier that evening became clear.
When inflated with hot air, they are captivating, filled with the expectation and promise of soaring high.
Then a flap opens and the hot air keeping it airborne escapes, leaving it to limply drop to the ground in a pile of material.
So it was with the 2015 Razorback season. Until last Saturday evening when the collective hopes for a higherflying season escaped through the flap of stronger, tougher efforts by the unranked MAC team (along with 85 yards of critical penalties and plenty of self-destructive miscues) to leave a state of disappointed Razorback fans, and coaches, and team, and the entire SEC stunned.
Perhaps (and hopefully) our Hogs will re-inflate their balloon tonight as they take on the 2-0 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Fayetteville.
Reunion and change
Hard to believe my 50th high school reunion in Harrison rolls around next weekend. I was looking forward to the Oct. 2 evening barbecue at the Boone County Fairgrounds. But an overbooking meant a last-minute change of venue to Twelve Oaks Estate on U.S. 7 south of Harrison. Hope all my former classmates wear name tags.
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Mike Masterson’s column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mikemasterson10@hotmail.com.