News Release

 For Immediate Release -- September 19, 1997
 
 

For More Information Contact:

Bill Wenzel (608) 437-5971  Wisconsin Rural Development Center  Caryl Terrell (608) 256-0565  John Muir Chapter of Sierra Club  Keith Reopelle (608) 251-7020  Wisconsin's Environmental Decade  Debra Schwarze, Attorney (608) 647-5151

 

"There is no question that establishing statewide water quality standards is a laudable goal, but we still have a huge problem with language that will provide factory farms with leverage to harass, intimidate threaten and sue local governments who have decided that they don't want these rural cesspools in their communities," said Bill Wenzel, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Rural Development Center.

Local governments in Richland, Crawford, Sauk and LaFayette Counties have either enacted or are discussing local ordinances to address a concerted effort by the pork producers to site factory hog farms in Southwest Wisconsin.

"Its not just environmentalists who fear this preemption language, family farmers throughout the midwest have taken the lead in fighting factory farms," said Wenzel.  In states like North Carolina, Iowa and Missouri where Big Pig has proliferated, coalitions of family farmers and environmentalists have come together to push for legislation which expands the power of local officials to respond to the blight of factory farms which will be imposed on them if their authority is diminished through this legislation."

The budget language which has riled environmentalists and family farmers would create statewide standards for protecting water quality from nonpoint pollution, but that ..."a local governmental unit may enact regulations of livestock operations that are consistent with and do not exceed the performance standards...."  The language is supported by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau.

"The Farm Bureau is acting in bad faith and trying to pave the way for the factory hog farm industry in Wisconsin," said Caryl Terrell, Legislative Coordinator for the John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club. "Earlier this week a Farm Bureau lobbyists tried to sneak an amendment into the budget which would grandfather factory hog farms forever, and ever, & ever, no matter how devastating the impacts are on the neighbor's health and stream water quality."   Roger Cliff, a lobbyist with the Farm Bureau and Ron Kuehn, a lobbyist with the Wisconsin Pork Producers Association support the preemption language.

"There was an attempt to create statewide standards in the budget which in our eyes failed, in part because environmental and local interests were not adequately represented," said  Terrell.
"Any statewide standard should be a floor, not a ceiling," said Keith Reopelle, Legislative Director for Wisconsin's Environmental Decade.  "Local governments must have the flexibility to protect the resources that are unique to their area from the threats that are unique to their area."

"The legislature has been wrestling with this nonpoint issue for about the last 10 years; its simply not working if the only way we can get state standards is by undercutting local concerns," said Reopelle.  "Our only other recourse is the courts and we're prepared to work with the many responsible farmers out there to bring enforcement actions against some of the bad actors."

Richland County attorney Debra Schwarze condemned the language attached to the budget bill.  "This preemption is a back room attack on citizens trying to protect our rural communities from invading hog factories.  Shame on politicians from both parties who support this raid on rural rights and decision-making."

 News Advisory
 
 

For more information contact: Bill Wenzel (608) 437-5971
     Caryl Terrell (608) 256-0565
 

Family farm and environmental organizations will hold a press conference urging the legislature to fix a budget amendment which would make it more difficult for local governments to protect water quality from nonpoint pollution and regulate factory farms.
 
 
 

  Day: Thursday, September 11, 1997

  Time: 1:30 p.m.

  Place: Assembly Parlor of State Capitol
     (or room 328 NW if bumped)