CAFO’s Where Do We Stand, Part II

With much of January 2006, gone, this year is shaping up to be a big year for CAFO’s in Indiana. The agriculture business in the state is gearing up to meet the governor’s Plan for 2025 (PDF), which includes dramatically increasing Indiana’s livestock production through confinement feeding operations.

Although CAFO’s continue to make good progress across the state, many local residents are waking up to the governor’s vision for rural Indiana, and not liking it one bit. Some current issues:

Senate Bill 141, introduced by Timothy Lanane, Democrat from the 25th District (Anderson), on January 9, 2006. His bill aims to force IDEM to crack down on CAFO’s that repeatedly violate existing laws. The bill was referred to the (Republican controlled) Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee, and it appears no action has been taken with respect to it.

In Benton County, John J. Yost is reporting that Kentland, Indiana residents won a victory in Benton Circuit Court against the local BZA. He quotes from the ruling as follows (I have not been able to find media coverage of this case, so Mr. Yost is my sole reference):

Based upon the evidence presented in the case and the applicable law the Court finds and orders that the decision of the Benton County, Indiana Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) reviewed by the Court herein is incorrect and illegal as a matter of law. The Court finds that the BZA failed to issue sufficient written findings in support of the decision to grant the special exception to the applicant (Dekker). Further, the Court finds irregularity, impropriety and illegality in the arbitrary and capricious replacement of BZA member Hasser by Mr. Kretzmeier during the meeting and the decision making process at the February 3, 2004 BZA hearing. Further the Court finds irregularity, impropriety and illegality in the BZA proceedings conducted on February 3, 2004, as disclosed by the production of the transcript and record of the proceedings as prepared and filed with the Court, which transcript and record are found by the Court to have been incomplete and inaccurate, and therefore unreliable. Therefore on review the facts and the law are with the Petitioners and against the Benton County, Indiana, Board of Zoning Appeals. The decision of the Benton County, Indiana, Board of Zoning Appeals granting such special exception to Global Agri Horizons on February 3, 2004, is hereby reversed and set aside.

Up in Jasper County, Karen Myers put up a post yesterday providing additional commentary on the proposed CAFO going in next to a wildlife refuge. She has been “activated” by the issue and had advice for other residents who want to fight a local CAFO: Organize now:

If you’re fighting a CAFO in your area, it’s also important to be organized and I highly recommend the GRACE website as a good starting point. Also, you need the finances to be able to enter the legal battle…

For example, we opened a “Hog Farm Protest” bank account at our small National City branch in Wheatfield where residents have been chipping in to help pay for our legal fees on this case. Understand, that these are not tax_deductable charity donations, but that it’s one way in which your entire neighborhood (and beyond) can help in the fight financially.

Also, in our case, there is a major wildlife concern/issue, so we’ve also been in touch with several wildlife conservation organizations both at the local area level and beyond. Some organizations, such as Audubon, have been wonderfully supportive and have helped us gather the scientific reports and additional research materials we need to fight for the innocent wildlife victims in this case.

In a nod to the Pal_Item’s move into online teen networks that I talked about on Sunday, there is some debate on factory farming going on over on LiveJournal: Link.