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Monday, March 23, 2009

Environment - "Lawmakers consider next step for CAFO bill"

Updating this ILB entry from Feb. 19th, Pam Tharp reports today in the Richmond Palladium-Item in a story that begins:

LIBERTY, Ind. -- Union County pork producer Don Reiboldt is worried about his family's livelihood if a bill imposing a two-mile setback from state parks and reservoirs for mega livestock farms becomes law.

Union County resident Krista Carr, who lobbied representatives to pass House Bill 1075, is worried about the safety of state recreational waters if it doesn't.

Opponents and supporters of the controversial bill came face-to-face Saturday at a legislative breakfast hosted by Farm Bureau Inc. of Union, Fayette and Franklin counties. More than 80 people attended the four-hour gathering to talk with area state representatives Phil Pflum, Tom Knollman and Bob Bischoff and state Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg.

Indiana Farm Bureau representatives blamed Pflum and Bischoff, who are Democrats, and Knollman, a Republican, for the bill's passage in the House by a 51-47 vote. All three also voted for the bill in the House agriculture committee.

The bill is now assigned to the Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee and so far hasn't been heard. Leising and Pflum said the bill probably won't get a hearing before Sen. Beverly Gard's committee.

"I don't believe (Gard) is giving hearings to any bills with setbacks," Leising said. "I think in the Senate they recognize the need to haul manure."

Because the bill passed the House, it could be added as an amendment to another bill, Leising said. Pflum, who chairs the House agriculture committee, said he's still considering the next step. Statewide the setbacks impact less than 1 percent of land. In Union County, it's 15 to 20 percent of the county's land area.

"We can amend it into another bill, but is it worth the risk that bill might not pass because of it?" Pflum said after the meeting. "I'm going to be doing more talking with other legislators before making a decision. It isn't just Union County this bill affects. It's 46 counties in the state that have parks or reservoirs."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 23, 2009 03:05 PM
Posted to Environment