Monday, March 07, 2005
Attorney General Spitzer did not answer this question.
Sunday evening web blog avoids the CAFO question.
Mr. Spitzer:
I have spoken with people from many areas of New York State who can document Clean Water Act violations by New York CAFOs.
They tell me that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is not responsive to their telephone calls. They are brushed off or put on hold for long periods and in some cases have experienced agents who have hung up on them. These complaints come from Erie County, Niagara County, Cayuga County, Washington County and Cortland County. These are good people who are not exaggerating the problems with irresponsible CAFO owners.
After checking with documents in your office, it appears that you have been able to bring only 2 cases against CAFO owners.
The DEC is simply not enforcing regulations and the few regulations we have are inadequate.
As governor, what will you do to help save the environment of rural New York from the over 700 permitted and the several hundred illegal CAFOs in New York State?