Agri-Business Roaring River

[Snow Fly]

All the post on this subject have been very interesting and I'm sure has caused others to take a minutes to understand both sides of the issue. I will say I agree with the last post from Dano. There has been numerous issues with the Ozark streams with Norfork tailwaters being the latest and now enters Roaring River watershed plus 2 other,unknown, state parks {per View Point letter in 2/10/07 St. Louis Post Dispatch concerning 2/1/07 article} with confined animal feeding operations for hogs.

Dano is right about how long it takes for State/Federal agency to respond to environmental issues. Non action on their part allows these types of issues to pollute OUR natural resoures.

I'm also skeptical! I can only hope to be proven wrong.

[Kayser]

I support the farm for 1 reason only- it puts money into the local economy.

I oppose poultry farms along major watersheds for the following reasons:

1- there is no such thing as a no-runoff facility, and denial of this leads to untreated waste entering the watershed.

2- this deal is no so sweet as it seems- due to the high nitrate concentration of poultry waste, it is highly acidic and will sterilize most ground it comes in contact with. I know of several people who have used chicken waste in there gardens as fertilizer and have not had a decent garden for several years after. So, it is a terrible fertilizer, and they will be stuck with an overabundance of it when it does not sell, leaving them to find an "alternate position" for it.

3- I have seen a river after a "no-runnoff" chicken farm in Gerald, MO experienced a bad storm, and all of the waste entered the bourbuese river near its headwaters. This past summer was the first since then that I have found mussels, hellgramites, an abundance of fish, an a lack of that nasty, yellow-brown foam that collects in pools and eddies during the summer. It has taken 10 years for this river to recover from 1 single mishap, and I don't believe that it has fully recovered yet. It is not worth the risk to the watersheds for this farm to be built near these state parks.

Thanks for listening,

Rob

[crappiefisherman]

I would like to add one observation I have .Not even on poultry pollution.But how many times have you seen , while pulling into a parking spot, or along a public parking lot, pools of oil, , antifreeze and other auto related fluids.Do you think this stuff just drips in parking spots?It is everywhere.Where ever an auto has been operated you see this.Our highways are our biggest sources of oil based pollution.Have you noticed how slick the intersections are when it first rains? And no its not all because oil comes out of the asphalt in the heat.I know people dump used oil on the ground and on dirt roads to keep down the dust , And they are a problem, but they arent even a tiny bit responsible for all the problems. We as auto owners arent aware of the trouble or we might be more responsible.

[Tightline]

Boy you hit that right on the head Crappie,cars,trucks leaking oil and spewing fumes are probably the biggest polluters.

[FJ80]

Great Thread! I have a question for all who read this topic. What are you doing to make a difference to the quality of our Ozarks streams? We can all post on a forum our complaints and ideas of how to make things better, but at the end of the day, what have you done to make the situation better?? Do you contact your representatives when legislation that threatens the health of your community arises? DO you attend public meetings with DNR (or ADEQ) when there is going to be a big industry come in and threaten either water quality or quantity? Do you educate others either by your own actions/word of mouth or by supporting your local non-profit water quality organization (attend their meetings, fund-raising drives etc...)? Do you practice natural resource conservation in your everyday lives (water conservation etc...)?

Education is not the key, it is an important foundation. Behavior change is the key. We will not be judged on what we say, but on what we do.

Are you interested in doing your part, I think we all are. See the following organizations that might represent your area.

Upper White River Basin Partnership

James River Basin Basin Partnership

Table Rock Lake Water Quality Incorporated

Watershed Committee of the Ozarks

We all live downstream

[Rusty]

Get ready, here it comes.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_061234524.html

[SilverMallard]

I know a few of the water quality scientists who do the vetting on these permit applications. They are fly-fishermen who love Ozark streams. But they DO have to play by the rules written for them by the state legislature and USEPA.

I'm not suggesting they are doing the right thing here. But I wanted to provide that background info for context.

[Rusty]

I wonder if they ever feel as though they are beating their heads against a wall, but never show signs of it. I experienced job burnout after working for a company for 15 years. By then it was just a vapor trail, not much left to burnout.

[Snow Fly]

Found the following in the Kansas City Star Friday March 2, 2007 The other locations for the permits will be Mark Twain Lake, Battle of Athen Historic site in Clark County & Arrow Rock Mo. ? will be granted permits for construction of 4,800-head hog farms.

Here is the real shock of the article and I will quote "State Senator Chris Koster, recently filed SB 364, which would protect farmers from costly lawsuits over odors or pollution and would pre-empt local laws regulating agricultural operations"

"The Senate committee passed the bill, which now goes before the full Senate"

Koster says he's simply recognizing that agriculture is moving "towards the modern world whether we like it or not"

WELL if this is the "modern World" take me back to the stone age!! :ph34r:

I think the Honorable Senator from Harrisonville needs to quit smelling the roses corporate agribusiness sends him and take a sip of swill we all will be drinking

[SilverMallard]

THAT needs to be defeated!