Urgent CAFO Issues/Actions

January 18, 2007

By Joe Miller

On January 9 the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) posted three "model" agricultural zoning ordinances created by the Indiana Land Resources Council (ILRC) on the ISDA website. The ISDA and ILRC describe the model ordinances as tools that local governments can use "to plan their community's land use," and notes that "they will not be required by law." Links providing an Overview, Executive Summary, and Full description of each of the three "model" ordinances, as well as a press release are available on the ISDA website.

http://www.in.gov/isda/modelordinances/index.html

On January 17, 18, and 22 the ISDA & ILRC held/will hold three public "listening sessions" in Noblesville, Goshen, and Scottsburg to get public input on the three ordinances. Public input is to be expressed via 2-5 minute comments at the sessions, or via email or regular mail received by ISDA by midnight, January 22. The ILRC "will consider the public input prior to making their final recommendations on the model zoning ordinances" on January 31.

http://www.in.gov/isda/modelordinances/index.html

So much for democracy and responsible review! Announce the process on the 9th, initiate "listening sessions" on the 17th, close off public input on the 22nd, and make a final decision on the 31st!

What's going on?

What's going on, in my opinion, is an attempt by ISDA and ILRC to provide the legislative "tools" to supporters (local officials, industry representatives, etc.) of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to make as many Indiana counties CAFO friendly as possible.

What's going on is an attempt to meet Mitch Daniels' goal of doubling pork production in Indiana.

What's going on is an attempt by Daniels, ISDA, and ILRC (all Daniels' appointees) to frame, manage, sanitize and fast-track the discussion about CAFOs, so that CAFOs are reported in the media and come to be perceived by citizens as economic opportunities, and as operations whose massive health, environmental, economic, quality of life, and other threats have been minimized and regulated away.

Kathleen Neal's Comments and Comparisons

Here are some select comparisons between the Daniels/ISDA/ILRC "model" ordinances and the St. Joseph County Health Department's proposed CAFO ordinance -- scheduled for a hearing and vote before the County Council and County Commissioners in February (schedule below) -- as expertly prepared by Kathleen Neal of St. Joe County Quality of Life.

Oppose the Daniels "Model" in Your County

It's clear from the above that the Daniels/ISDA/ILRC "model" ordinances are an attempt to provide "tools" to officials and CAFO supporters throughout the state to make counties throughout the state as CAFO friendly as possible.

We need to do three things.

1. Vigorously support the passage of our local St. Joseph County Health Department CAFO Ordinance (schedule below).

2. Be on the lookout for and oppose any attempts to introduce a Daniels/ISDA/ILRC "model" ordinance in our county.

3. Submit our comments and reactions to the three "model" ordinances via email to ISDA by JANUARY 22.

We also need to do a fourth thing. We need to support local, sustainable forms of agriculture, and nurture connections between local farmers and local communities. I've addressed this need in my "Local Food Versus CAFOs" article (1), and our neighbors in South Central Michigan have described the sustainable options they've embraced on the website of the Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan (ECCSCM, 2). The ECCSCM site also has extensive descriptions of the massive problems that CAFOs have created for them, as well as documentation of the huge problems they have been created by CAFOs built and operated by Vreba-Hoff LLC (3). Vreba-Hoff LLC is the same corporation whose application to develop a 3500 head dairy CAFO (Walnut Grove Dairy LLC) in southern St. Joseph County near Lakeville is currently under review by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Apply Pressure to Local Councils

Here's the schedule of upcoming meetings to attend and express your support for the St. Joseph County Health Department's CAFO Ordinance:

Tuesday, Jan. 23rd, 5:30pm - County Council Committee Meeting
4th floor - County-City Building - Committee Room
The Health Dept. will make a strong presentation to the Council in favor of the CAFO Ordinance. The Council will then vote on whether to send the CAFO Ordinance out of committee and on to the full council for a vote on Feb. 13th. This is a public meeting, but members of the public are not allowed to speak.

Tuesday, Feb. 13th, 7:00pm - Public Hearing and Vote by the County Council
4th floor - County-City Building - Council Chambers
The Council will hold a public hearing prior to voting on the CAFO Ordinance. Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes. Please come and voice your support for this Ordinance. If the Ordinance receives a favorable vote by the Council, it will go on to the Commissioners for their approval.

Tuesday, Feb. 20th, 10:00am - Public Hearing and Vote by the County Commissioners
4th floor - County-City Building - Council Chambers
The County Commissioners will then hold a public hearing prior to voting on the CAFO Ordinance. Each speaker is again limited to 3 minutes.

Please come and voice your support for this Ordinance. If the Ordinance receives a favorable vote by the Commissioners, it will become law sometime around March 1.

Let's make it happen!

Joseph Miller
Department of Psychology
51 Madeleva
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Office Phone: 574 284-4532 (4534)
Fax: 574 284-4716

St. Joe Valley Greens, South Bend, IN

SJVGreens