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Friday, October 28
COOL has been Killed
by
Caroline Vernon
on Fri 28 Oct 2005 04:00 PM CDT
 Politics and Money to Blame for Killing Consumer-Friendly Food Labeling Program.
This is completely unacceptable!
Note:
The only silver lining is that the Larry Craig provision to exempt
factory farms from Superfund and Emergency Planning and Community Right
to Know Act (EPCRA) failed once again.
Statement of Wenonah Hauter, Director of Public Citizen’s Food Program.
The long
battle over country-of-origin labeling (COOL) has reached a
disappointing finish, with a decision last night by the House-Senate
Conference Committee on the agriculture appropriations bill (H.R. 2744)
to wave a white flag of surrender to the food and grocery industries.
The committee effectively killed a mandatory program that would require
labels on foods sold in grocery stores to state where and how the food
was raised or produced.
As is
typical of this Congress, this final move was made behind closed doors.
Even though Public Citizen tried to attend this so-called public
meeting, no one who was standing in line to attend the meeting was
allowed to enter the room. Despite polls showing that consumers
overwhelmingly support mandatory labeling, lawmakers have killed the
idea through budgetary gimmicks because they favor a weaker, voluntary
labeling program. A mandatory program would not have cost the
government any money; that cost would have been borne by the food
industry.
As outlined in the recent Public Citizen report Tabled Labels, available at http://www.citizen.org/documents/COOL.pdf,
big agribusiness used millions of dollars in lobbying expenditures and
campaign contributions, and a network of Washington insiders with close
connections to the Bush administration and Congress, to thwart COOL.
This latest effort to kill COOL was led by U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla
(R-Texas), who has received more than $167,000 from COOL opponents in
the past three election cycles, making him their top beneficiary. The
Food Marketing Institute, which represents the grocery industry, and
the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which represents the meat
industry, have been the biggest opponents of mandatory COOL. It is
apparent that our elected lawmakers’ main concern is to protect
industry, not consumers.
While
the appropriations bill delays mandatory COOL for meat to September
2008, this move effectively kills the program because this new
implementation date is beyond the expiration date - 2007 - of the 2002
Farm Bill that originally mandated it.
Rules
for voluntary COOL are already in effect, yet most consumers are not
getting information about where their food was produced. For nearly
four years, Congress has stalled on this issue. Most people can earn a
college degree in four years, but apparently it’s not enough time for
Congress to institute a simple program that would have been useful to
every consumer in the United States. Congress has failed us again.
Public
Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization based
in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.citizen.org.
Sunday, October 23
HOGS, HOGS, HOGS AGAIN
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 23 Oct 2005 11:00 AM CDT
 Hogs, Hogs, Hogs Again
A
public health emergency needs to be issued for the state of Iowa.
Industrial-strength hog lot confinements are getting a strangle hold on
our air.
If you live in one of the medium to large cities in IOWA and step
outside one snowy morning and are slapped in the face with the stench
of HYDROGEN SULFIDE or AMMONIA, it's too late for you. The time
will have passed for you to do anything. So get educated now
because the request for new and expanding hog confinements is exploding.
According to a September 19th article by Perry Beeman of the Des Moines
Register, "Construction permits for new livestock operations through
August - 137 - already were up 59 percent over last year's
record. For the third straight year, IOWA - the nation's top hog
producer - has issued a record number of permits for new livestock
operations, MOST OF THEM CONFINEMENTS FOR MORE THAN 2,500 HOGS."….
"…'People need to be greatly vigilant about what is going on in their
neighborhoods,' said Hugh Espey of IOWA Citizens for Community
Improvement, which opposes large-scale hog confinements. 'We
think IOWA has too many factory farms as it is. There are bound
to be problems.'"
"The risks are documented. Studies by the University of IOWA, the
University of North Carolina, Duke University, the state of Utah and
others have associated hog confinements with neighbors' complaints of
nausea, respiratory problems, headaches, depression and diarrhea.
The University of IOWA estimated HOG CONFINEMENTS EMIT MORE THAN 100
CHEMICALS AND COMPOUNDS, INCLUDING HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND AMMONIA.
"Manure applied as fertilizer to crop fields sometimes runs into
streams, killing fish, and into lakes, which is one reason state park
swimming areas are unsafe at times.
"Espey's group successfully pushed for tighter controls on hog
operations, but IT STILL IS PUSHING FOR A MORATORIUM ON CONSTRUCTION.
The group also wants the state to give local authorities control over
the construction. As it is, county boards of supervisors can only
ask for a state hearing and rate confinement proposals on a state
checklist intended to promote operations that pollute less and cause
fewer area disruptions…."
For the entire article go to www.desmoinesregister.com
We must all honestly take a look at what we do to contribute to the big
demand for pork. Have you asked at a restaurant if the meat they
serve is free range or confined? Do you think the average server
knows or cares? So, ask next time and ask at the grocery
store. Find restaurants that use local growers. Then also
watch the IOWA Department of Natural Resources website www.iowadnr.com
or call their office to see whether anyone has requested an animal
confinement construction permit recently in your area.
Just a reminder: CRP - CONSERVE/RECYCLE/PARTICIPATE
Sunday, October 9
HOGS, HOGS, HOGS ON THE RADIO
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 09 Oct 2005 11:13 AM CDT
 HOGS, HOGS, HOGS ON THE RADIO
Normally an IOWA-based radio program about hogs mentions the words
commodity, pork bellies, or futures at least once. The one this
morning on 1270 AM-WKBF did not. The program "Conversation With Cathy
And Karl" is broadcast on our local Air America affiliate. It was
sent out over the airwaves from 9-9:30 AM this sunny but cool October
morning. Those listening in the Quad-Cities area and for those up
to 70 miles away, this is local, progressive, discussion radio at its
best. We here in eastern IOWA and those in western Illinois can
pickup the signal.
This particular program heard Cathy Bolcom and Karl Rhomberg interview
me about HOG CONFINEMENTS IN IOWA AND THE MASTER MATRIX. I talked
about the problems stemming from too many pigs being raised in too
small an area. HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND AMMONIA as well as
ANTIBIOTICS and ASTHMA IN CHILDREN were all part of the program.
NERVOUS SYSTEM AND/OR BRAIN DAMAGE OR DEATH can result with even short
exposure to strong doses of hydrogen sulfide or ammonia. Many of
you who visit this web site have read the articles I've previously
written about this issue so are already aware of these things. By
hopefully stressing the HEALTH perspective as well as the SOCIAL,
CULTURAL, and ECONOMIC aspects of what hog confinements represent we'll
bring this topic back to continued public discussion.
Before the IOWA and Illinois legislatures convene again, I hope to have an open forum on this matter.
To see what has happened in counties west of Eastern IOWA is crucial in
understanding the life of a confined hog. No longer is this just
about a person trying to make a living at what they love to do; this
first and foremost must be considered a HEALTH ISSUE. THE DAMAGE
TO OUR HEALTH, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH, CAN BE AVOIDED if
confinements do not increase.
It is also about the AGRICULTURE /INDUSTRIAL /CORPORATE
COMPLEX. Do we want our state to become a place where our health,
air, and water are decimated to feed those in other states and around
the world? This is my main question. After hearing Scott
County Board of Supervisor Chairman Larry Minard's final remarks on
July 28th, it appears there is lack of concern for the majority of
those living in our county. He said we live in a global economy
and for economic reasons the Thomas Dittmer hog lot expansion was
approved. All 5 supervisors voted in favor: 2 Democrats, 3
Republicans.
On the radio program today, Karl called this a "sham" referring to the
fact that no matter how the local board of supervisors votes, the final
say for permit approval or denial rests with the IDNR (IOWA Department
of Natural Resources). But at least since the board has opted the
past 3 years to be part of the permit process, public input is received
for 30 days after the construction permit request is received by the
IDNR.
Those near Reynolds, Illinois, who I mentioned last week, are
apprehensive about their chances to stop the confinement near their
town of 550 (I had too many people listed previously, sorry). On
Thursday, September 29th, many of the 12 who are suing the farmer Jim
O'Leary appeared in the Rock Island County courthouse. It was the
first hearing regarding a request for a TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
that would put a halt to the construction of the confinement
buildings. But since there are no pigs on the site yet, the judge
deemed there was no emergency situation.
On Monday, November 7th, the group and their lawyer will be back in
court this time asking for a temporary INJUNCTION. More to come
later.
BLACK ELK, GREAT OGLALA SIOUX LEADER WOULD SAY WE DISHONOR THE EARTH.
SAINT FRANCIS WOULD TELL US WE NEED TO BE MORE KIND TO ANIMALS.
JOHN DENVER WOULD BE APPALLED.
GEORGE HARRISON WOULD SEE THE INJUSTICE.
BELLA ABZUG WOULD TAKE THEM TO COURT.
In your busy week, don't forget to CPR...CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
Sunday, October 2
MORE HOGS, HOGS, HOGS
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 02 Oct 2005 11:00 AM CDT
 HOG CONFINEMENT PUBLIC DISCUSSION IN REYNOLDS, ILLINOIS
Monday, September 26th, 2005 saw more than 150 people gather at 6:30pm
in the Reynolds, IL American Legion hall to gather information about
HOG CONFINEMENTS.
For those unfamiliar, a CONENTRATED ANIMAL CONFINEMENT OPERATION
(CAFO) is a building or location which houses hogs, chickens, turkeys,
cattle or other animals in close quarters for possible high money
return for the farmer and the corporation with which they may have a
contract. See www.farmweb.org
In Reynolds, IL, the public meeting is one of similar gatherings going
on all across the country in states whose citizens come to obtain
information on this complex issue.
Jim O'Leary is constructing a hog confinement building or buildings
approximately 1¼ miles east of this town of about 750
residents. The meeting was hosted by
ConfinementFamilies Against Animal Threats (FAACT). One of the two guest speakers was
KAREN HUDSON, a farmer from Peoria County, IL. Her family farm is
close to a SMITHFIELD hog factory in Knox County. Smithfield is a
Virginia-based company.
Karen was appointed to the IL House/Senate Joint Livestock Committee in
1997. She is president of F AMILIES AGAINST RURAL MESSES (FARM)
which organized in the fall of 1996. She is also a board member
of the IL Stewardship Alliance and a consultant for the GRACE Factory
Farm Project. Karen stressed she eats meat and has a freezer full
of beef and chicken and knows the families that raise these animals
SUSTAINABLY.
Ms. Hudson described that she became active in educating others when a
huge hog confinement came to her county. THE LAGOON WHICH COVERED MORE
THAN 8 ACRES AND HELD THE HOGS' WASTE WAS BEING PUMPED INTO DRY AREAS
OF LAND. WASTE WAS FLOWING INTO A LAKE. THE LAGOON WAS
SANDBAGGED BECAUSE IT HAD GOTTEN SO FULL.
THE MANAGER OF THIS FACILITY ENDED UP PUMPING BETWEEN 2,000,000 AND 10,000,000 GALLONS OF THIS SEWAGE ON TO THE LAND.
Neighbors complained of awful smells (HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND AMMONIA
mostly) and increased illnesses. The IL Attorney General had to
step in. The manager was cited by the state and faces nearly
$50,000 a day fines and possible jail time.
THE HEALTH RISKS are the main concern of many people who do not wish to
see this facility completed. NOISE is also a concern of
others. Neighbors of another facility also owned by Mr. O'Leary
have complained of the awful NOISE coming from the squealing, screaming
hogs.
According to information in "Facing The Facts, Reasons For Concerns"
compiled by FAACT, "We have heard that the water table in our area has
already been dropping one foot per year. We have also been
told that this (proposed) confinement will use approximately 5000
gallons of water per day. Keep in mind that the extra use will
affect not only those living next to this facility, but the entire town
of Reynolds as well…."
"An IOWA study evaluated the health of 18 neighbors living within a two
mile radius of a hog confinement. The neighbors reported health
problems similar to those of confinement workers. Symptoms
reported were bronchitis, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of
breath, wheezing, nausea, weakness, dizziness, and fainting. Many
confinement workers have died after being overcome by hydrogen sulfide
fumes while working in or around manure holding tanks."
Large ventilation fans pump the hydrogen sulfide and ammonia and other
gases out the buildings ending up in the atmosphere outside.
Brain damage and central nervous system damage can result. THE
MOST SUSCEPTIBLE ARE THE CHILDREN.
The FAACT brochure also states, " In 1995, Julie Jansen, who operated a
day care center in Minnesota, was advised to take the children away
from the home after they were suffering from nausea, diarrhea,
headaches and other symptoms of hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Hog
factories, more than a mile from her home, were contaminating the air."
"Confinements of this size are truly INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS PRODUCING AS
MUCH OR MORE WASTE THAN ENTIRE TOWNS. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT
SUBJECT TO INDUSTRIAL LAWS OR REGULATIONS. They only have to
follow the agriculture laws that were originally put in to place to
govern the smaller family farms. Ironically, these large-scale
facilities have made it virtually impossible for the smaller farmers to
compete and HAVE HELPED END THE FARMING CAREERS OF MOST OF THEM."
More on this on-going issue later.
PLEASE, don't forget to CPR: CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE...especially PARTICIPATE
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