Friends of Rural New York

EPA has failed to set adequate CAFO standards
From Auburn Citizen

Sunday, December 30, 2007 3:04 AM EST

In response to the proposed hog factory farm in Montezuma, past news
articles have quoted the farm owner, Richard Snyder, as stating that he

intends to “follow the rules” and regulations of running a
large-scale
factory farm. Although his intentions seem sincere, there is a major
flaw with the regulations themselves. Did you know that although the
Clean Water Act requires large livestock operations to obtain permits
for more than 30 years, noncompliance has been widespread? In 2001, the

EPA estimated that at least 13,000 concentrated animal feeding
operations CAFOs — were required to have Clean Water Act permits, but

the EPA had issued just 2,520 permits. Some states with the highest
numbers of CAFO#s have issued the fewest permits under the Clean Water
Act. How many CAFO#s are operating without permits because of this lack

of oversight?

As reported by the Environmental Integrity Project, the EPA enforcement

against CAFO#s is almost non-existent. The EPA has not taken a position

on regulations, legislative efforts to protect the environment, welfare

or public health. Because the EPA has failed to set strong standards
for
CAFO regulation, state laws vary. Because of the lack of oversight from

the EPA, and non-existent regulations for CAFO#s, the factory farms
have
been allowed to build and expand with no thought to the environment or
public health. The industry cannot have it both ways. If the CAFO
industry cannot manage or control its pollution, then there needs to be

a moratorium on the expansion or building of new CAFO#s until they can.

When Mr. Snyder states he’s going to “follow the rules”, the
public and
our elected officials needs to realize there are no rules.

Nicole Ward

Montezuma