News
County health board stops short of regulating CAFOs
The Moniteau County Health Board has accepted the recommendation of a special advisory committee to not pass an ordinance addressing concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The appointed committee recommendation includes monitoring of air and water quality by the health board, but with no regulatory backing. The board would prefer to have an ordinance but was told it would be sued because of a new state law precluding county passage of such ordinances, according to James Canter, chairman of the Moniteau County Health Board.
“We do not have the funds to defend a lawsuit,” Canter told Brownfield Ag News following Monday’s meeting, “so we have to go with second best, which is to monitor and report.”
The advisory committee was comprised of four members who favor a county ordinance regulating CAFOs and three members who oppose passage of such an ordinance. Moniteau County cattleman Andy Clay, one of the advisory committee members against an ordinance, said state level regulations of CAFOs are adequate.
The [Department of Natural Resources] is doing everything that they’re supposed to to help protect Missouri citizens,” Clay told Brownfield. “Obviously if they want tougher restrictions maybe we need to get those at the state level and not the county level.”
Pediatrician Dr. Tim O’Connor, an advisory board member who supports having an ordinance, questions Missouri Senate Bill 391 passed in the most recent legislative session. That bill prevents passage of local ordinances regarding CAFOs if those ordinances are more stringent than state statutes.
“Why should agriculture have a carveout when the auto industry doesn’t, or restaurants don’t, or barbers don’t,” said O’Connor during an interview with Brownfield. “They’re all supervised by local health boards; every one of them.”
Although no ordinance was passed, Moniteau County Health Board staff have been instructed to come up with procedures for voluntary monitoring of air and water quality in the county. The board is to vote at their regular meeting August 19th whether to accept those procedures, according to Chairman Canter.
What do I think? I think the industrial ag sector has become a mafia of multinational intimidation, with tentacles in every aspect of Missouri government. They rule by threat and bullying, by big money carrots and even bigger sticks for any who dare to speak against them.