Strange things going on in Jasper and Newton Counties

Yesterday at 11 a.m. the students at Newton County's Lake Village Elementary School were sent home and the school was closed. It's also closed for today and tomorrow. The initial radio announcement we heard described several of the children were getting ill -- with flu-like symptoms including severe diarrhea.

The school isn't releasing any further details... but based on my research lately, the type of symptoms described generally go along with either food poisoning (from e. Coli, Lysteria, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, etc.) or water contamination. Who knows for sure?

Just a few short months ago, students at KV Intermediate School in Jasper County were told not to drink the water for several days... apparently it was contaminated.

Drinking water contamination appears to be a BIG issue in Northern Jasper County and Newton County these days ...and when you check out the overhead aerial maps to see the plethora of CAFOs in operation throughout this region -- if you've done your homework -- you might be a bit nervous about drinking the water in this region, too.

I heard rumors that one particular test well in this region was loaded with coliform bacteria. I'll be telling you more about that soon.

If you think Indiana needs a moratorium on the CAFO issue -- it's time to ACT!

On January 29th an important Bill (Bill 447) gets a reading in the Senate before the Energy and Environmental Committee which calls for just such a moratorium. If you can't attend in person (about 1:30), then perhaps an email (or letter) to the Senators who serve on the committee will help raise their awareness about how many people are concerned. Regardless where you live in Indiana, be sure to let them know, "WE WANT A MORATORIUM!"

Senator Riiegsecker R.M. s-12
Senator Bray s-37
Senator Dillon s17
Senator Drozda s21
Senator Hershman s-7
Senator Miller s-32
Senator Hume R.M.M. s-48
Senator Errington s-26
Senator Lanane s-25
Senator Tallian s-4

Barbara Cox wrote up an impressive letter (see it posted on Kemplog here) stating several reasons why a CAFO moratorium is so NEEDED here in Indiana. Please add your voice to the hundreds of others of us who have written. Make sure these Senators understand how IMPORTANT this issue is TO US ALL.

Don't let Indiana fall by the wayside (like things happening in Michigan lately) ...we all deserve better, both here in Indiana and throughout the rest of our remarkable country!

New 2007 CAFO Regulations Proposed

It's now in the NEWS and I can finally let all of you know about this. Here's an excerpt from this PAL-Item:

Area legislators are banding together on the issue of confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) during the first week of the General Assembly in 2007.

An area Democrat, Phil Pflum of Milton, and an area Republican, Tom Saunders of Lewisville, have joined in introducing a House bill that would put restrictions on where CAFOs can be built.

This is House Bill 1197, digest of details as follows: Regulation of confined feeding operations. Prohibits construction of a confined feeding operation (CFO) within two miles of a school or a municipality. Permits application to land of manure generated by a CFO only by incorporation or injection. Requires certification of applicators of manure generated by a CFO.

All excellent points which we need to support.

Next, Senator Allen Paul is trying again to introduce another CAFO Bill...

In the Senate, Allen Paul (R-Richmond) has introduced a bill that would put a three-year moratorium on building any new CAFOs in the state.

I recall Senator Allen Paul attempted previously to get a similar CAFO Bill passed, but it was scrapped fairly quickly back then. I haven't been able to locate this new Senate Bill yet.

NOW -- PLEASE remember... anything can be added or subtracted on a bill at this point. What can you do?

For one thing, both CAFO Bills being proposed NEED your SUPPORT! Show how much you care about this important issue by writing your local Rep as well as sending a letter (or email) to BOTH:

Rep. Phil Pflum D
and
Rep. Tom Saunders R

Mailing Address:
Indiana House of Representatives,
200 West Washington Street,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Also, show your support for Senator Allen Paul's Bill (I'll bring you more on that as I hear it). We desperately NEED that 3 year moratorium to assess the impact of all CAFOs in operation right now in Indiana, and to ensure more rural families are NOT put in harms way.

Public health and safety ...and the safety of our environment... need to take precedence over Big Business.

When writing the above Reps and your local Reb, be sure to express your concerns, such as:

- water (potential contamination with pathogens, drugs and pollutants)
- water availability (these CAFOs suck a great deal out of our aquifer)
- environmental issues (air, water, and soil contamination issues)
- increased insects and other pests (potential health hazard - increased risk)
- potential health risks for all on above issues, particularly for very young, elderly and imuno compromisized (ie. such as cancer patients/survivors and organ transplant recipients)

Let them know how important this issue has become for all of us in this region as the CAFOs spread closer and closer to higher populated areas. THIS HAS TO STOP!

The more letters they receive, the better!

Sidenote: Personally, I'm not a fan of the "Eliminating Property Taxes" proposal mentioned in the above referenced Pal-Item. My husband worked up the numbers, and it turns out we'd end up paying $2,214.23 more in Income/Sales taxes in order to save a mere $352 in property tax. Our Accountant (from another County) said Jasper County is already paying far too HIGH in Income AND Sales taxes when compared with most other counties. And of course, as anyone who has taken even a little business schooling knows, both Sales and Income taxes are "regressive" ...meaning that they tend to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer.

Keywords: CAFO, factory farms, Indiana Rep. Phil Pflum, Indiana Rep Tom Saunders, Senator Allen Paul, Indiana CAFOs, Indiana Factory Farm Laws, Indiana Legislature, IDEM, HB 1197, CAFO moratorium, Sen. Allen Paul, confined animal feeding operations, New Indiana CAFO Regulations, 2007 Indiana General Assembly

Hot Spots In The News

No time to write a full post today, so I'll just leave you with some hot news items that have popped up over the past 7 days:

From The Monitor:
"New prospect for US: glut of ethanol plants"

From The New York Times:
"Rise in Ethanol Raises Concerns About Corn as a Food"

From The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne):
"Steuben dairy farm faces EPA sanctions"

From The EPA:
"EPA orders Indiana dairy to comply with discharge permit"

From the Environment News Service:
"2006 Was the Sixth Warmest Year Ever"

And from The Independent:
"World faces hottest year ever, as El Niño combines with global warming"

And for something lighter, here's one from the Courier Press in Evansville:
"Meteorite crashes through bathroom"

I'll be back tomorrow with more news from Jasper County on the Moooooooving CAFO mess.

Dead birds in Austin Texas today

In the early morning hours today, this story hit the press: "Bird deaths shut down downtown Austin"

AUSTIN, Texas - Police shut down 10 blocks of businesses in the heart of downtown early Monday after dozens of birds were found dead in the streets, but officials said preliminary tests showed no dangerous chemicals in the air. As many as 60 dead pigeons, sparrows and grackles were found overnight along Congress Avenue, a main route through downtown...

Officials do not think Bird Flu is involved, however at least one bird carcass was being tested locally for other possible causes, and other carcasses were shipped to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Texas A&M University.

"A 10-block stretch of Congress Avenue, several side streets and all buildings in the area were shut down and declared off-limits as a precaution, Chovanetz said."

Just a few short weeks ago, and just north of Austin there were 3,400 dead mallard ducks discovered along Land Creek Springs, about 150 miles southeast of Boise, Idaho -- north of Austin, as the crow flies.

Now... if they come out with news that the "official cause of death" is acute aspergillosis, I'm really going to start wondering what's up.

A bit about what the birds eat:

Common Grackels: "During migration and winter, common grackles eat mostly grains from farm fields and seeds, particularly corn and acorns. They also eat some fruits."

Common Sparrows: "Emberizids are typically omnivorous (both insectivorous and grainivorous). They primarily eat seeds during the winter and insects during the summer."

Common Pigeons: "Studies of pigeons in a semi-rural part of Kansas found that their diet includes the following: 92% corn, 3.2% oats, 3.7% cherry, along with small amounts of knotweed, elm, poison ivy, and barley. In cities, feral pigeons also eat popcorn, cake, peanuts, bread, and currants."

You know, this story kind of makes you wonder what happened to the pigeons that died in 2003 in Texas.

Keywords: USA bird deaths, bird deaths, Austin TX bird deaths, mysterious bird deaths, factory farms, animal health news, environment, environment health, IDEM

Questions for IDEM

Yesterday I promised I would bring you additional info regarding some IDEM regulations which need to be looked at seriously -- and in my humble opinion, need to be changed.

Here are 3 important questions for IDEM that were sent to me by email, that the writer believes we should all contact IDEM to have changed:

1. There is no rule that gives IDEM any over sight on lagoons away from the permitted site. In other words, if you wish to dig a lagoon and have manure transported to it, that is ok. You do not need to do soil borings or get a permit. Now, that is what Indiana needs, lagoons with no rules. NOT!! If you believe this needs change, please contact Mr. Palin.

2. I also questioned how IDEM can approve a permit while the application is under appeal? Yes, perhaps a group could try to keep appealing and try to stop the building. This would not be fair, however it does seem that IDEM should not give the permit until at least a decision has been made by one Judge. Any comment on this please direct to Mr. Palin.

3. There is no rule that states IDEM can not approve an expansion while a CAFO is under appeal. Why should they be allowed to expand if it has not been decided if it should even be there in the first place. If those that have filed the appeal have provided all information to the Judge then it would seem it was no fault of their's that there had been long delays in the hearing. Does this rule need review? If you believe that is the case, then contact Mr. Palin.

Why contact Mr. Palin?
The writer was told that if anyone wanted to comment or encourage change in the rules of IDEM, Mr. Palin would be the one we should contact.

So, for those of you reading my blog who want to make a serious and positive difference, here is Mr. Palin's contact information:

Mailing Address:
Mr. Bruce Palin
Assistant Commissioner
Office of Land Quality
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
100 N. Senate Ave.
Mail Code 65-45
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

E-mail Address:
bpalin@idem.in.gov

If you choose to send your questions (and/or suggestions) by e-mail, you might also want to send a copy in by snail-mail, too.

The above 3 questions are a good place to start. And maybe, you just might have a few suggestions and recommendations for changes of your own to add?

Adding CAFO Insult to CAFO Injury

Everytime I think about how "rights" are being systematically stripped away from Hoosiers... arr-rg-g-gh!!

Kemplog and Mason's blog drew my attention to this new little piece of legislation called -- Senate Bill 0173.

It almost makes me wonder how well Gilbert and his brother Tim den Dulk (or Tim's wife's family - the de Jong's) know Senator Jackman... because both Bill 0173 and a former piece of legislation authored by Senator Jackman grants considerable protection for the Poultry CAFO that wants to change over to a Veal Calf CAFO.

Think about it.

The first piece of legislation protects CAFO owners from nuisance suits for operations that have a "significant change in the type of operation".

I'd say a 241% increase in total manure production to be a significant change, and that's not even pointing out the other very obvious significant changes in this operation.

Then the next piece of legislation pays the CAFO owner back if (read when) they win their nuisance lawsuit.

If you've never been in a "Nuisance" lawsuit court battle, you might be surprised at how expensive they are to fight -- particularly for local area residents fighting them. In many cases, a nuisance lawsuit won't even make it to court because residents can't raise the funding to fight them, and in most cases, it's residents' only form of defense against the "trespasses" these CAFOs can bring to a neighborhood.

Nuisance law is part of "common law" ... part of the rights American forefathers faught so long and hard for. If they only knew what has become of those rights... particularly here in Indiana.

It's unconstitutional -- and insulting -- IMHO.

Speaking of Indiana laws ...did you know there are a few "loopholes" that have been uncovered in IDEM's CAFO regulations? I'll bring you more on THAT interesting discovery tomorrow, along with information on what YOU can do to get IDEM REGULATIONS changed here in Indiana.

Meanwhile, speaking of de Jong ...check this little EPA Press Release out:
EPA orders Indiana dairy to comply with discharge permit

Here's an interesting quote from the above EPA Press Release - QUOTE:

"Storm water run-off discharged from CAFOs typically contains very high levels of nutrients and pathogens that can pose a threat to public health and harm aquatic life."

Dang it all -- isn't that what I've been saying all along?! Where is that dang Public Health Board, anyway? How many people will have to get sick -- or worse, die -- before Public Health Officials get involved in this picture??

The frequency with which we were spotting CDC (Center for Disease Control) vans in this area last summer has me wondering if, maybe, they're already involved but we just don't know about it yet?


Keywords: CAFO, factory farms, den Dulk, Gilbert den Dulk, Tim den Dulk, den Dulk Dairies, de Jong, de Jong Dairies, IDEM, Senate Bill 0173, Senate Bill 267, Sen. Jackman, confined animal feeding operations, EPA violation, EPA Press Release

dead duck conspiracy

It all started when a hunter found a handful of dead ducks along Land Creek Springs, about 150 miles southeast of Boise, on Friday, Dec. 8/2006. By the following Wednesday, the count was up to 1,000 dead mallard ducks. By Thursday, it grew to 2,500 ...and at least one report has the final count at 3,400 dead ducks.


Photo courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game Department

Eventually, the official cause of death came out on the newswires:

The official cause of death is acute aspergillosis, a respiratory tract infection caused by a fungus commonly found in soil, dead leaves, moldy grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation. It can cause respiratory tract infections in birds that inhale the spores.

"It's not contagious to people, not something for people to worry about. It's a relatively common waterfowl disease. It happens around the country every year," said Tom Hemker, state wildfowl manager.

It's almost like they were saying -- "Nothing to see here. You can all go home. Move along now."

But then one blog had an interesting discussion heat up as one scientist, one medical doctor and one anti-cafo contributor started bringing forth further facts in the case.

Questions were raised:

"The first being the FACT that the local Sheriff's office was kept absolutely out of the loop. WHY? ...According to published news reports, the ONLY way the Sheriff was getting ANY information was through the media outlets. That, in my mind is very telling.)"

"Secondly, WHY is the Idaho State Department of Agriculture involved? Could it have something to do with the fact that there are several VERY large Dairy CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) nearby."

In her lengthy post, the commenter also added:

"If anyone doesn't believe that ISDA is the MASTER of coverup, then do a google search on Washington County and take a look. Twenty two PRIVATE domestic wells were contaminated by a feedlot called Sunnyside. ISDA DENIED the contamination was coming from the feedlot. The neighbors sent water samples to a Scientist with the University of New York at Buffalo... It was ONLY when these test results were made public that ISDA FINALLY ADMITTED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE CONTAMINATION WAS INDEED THE FEEDLOT." (See this link regarding that particular story.)

Another commenter who is "a well-published researcher in M. avium with appropriate credentials" addressed her post with more questions on the subject of cause of death:

"Alma is hitting some serious paydirt with her confined Animal Feeding Operations thought."

And further review of this commenter's posts implicated that something in addition to the aspergillosis spores had to be present in order for such a massive (and presumably fast) mortality to occur in such a concentrated area. The commenter suggests tuberculosis might have been found as well, if acid-tests had also been performed on the dead birds.

"By the way MYCObacterial infections include tuberculosis and leprosy. Tuberculosis can be found in not only humans, but cattle and birds (fowl tuberculosis or Mycobacteria avium). In fact it can be found in all warm-blooded vertebrates and also in human, cattle and bird sewage.) It is also a known disease due to overcrowding, in eiher man or animals. Repeatedly, Mycobacterium avium or fowl tuberculosis has been isolated in the form of a subspecies called Mycobacteria paratuberculosis in the intestines of man, and cattle."

And so began my own little journey through Google, where I found this document from the The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Department of Veterinary Pathology, in which CASE 1 involving a mallard duck death where

"Mycobacterium avium was isolated from the lung, liver and humerus."

The report confirms what the scientist on the blog referenced above was stating --

"Aspergillosis is a common opportunistic infection and should be the top differential when fungi are identified in lesions lining airways. Conidiophores are specialized structures from which asexual spores, or conidia, arise. The end of the conidiophore forms a terminal vesicle which develops sterigmata (phialides) from which chains of conidia are produced. Only if the Aspergillus is growing in a cavity with airspace can it form a 'fungus ball' in which conidia and conidiophores are frequently observed.

The moderator stressed the need to run acid-fast stains on all granulomatous lesions in birds and reptiles in order to detect mycobacterial infections which might otherwise be attributed to an opportunistic infection."

And then I tripped across yet another study involving -- mallard ducks -- of all things... a mass duckling death that occurred in Georgia on a game preserve farm. In this case, just as in the Idaho duck case, Aspergillosis was present in the autopsies, but interestingly the actual cause of death was traced further back from the fungus infection to the "stress" inducer -- namely, E. coli contamination.

"...Aspergillosis has been sporadically reported in multiple free-ranging avian species and, although it may be attributed to an initial debilitating/immunocompromizing insult, it is often the only infectious agent identified. For the 2-wk-old mallard ducklings, the straw litter may have been a contributing factor as the dust created a medium upon which E. coli and Aspergillus spores could attach. Inhalation of the aerosolized dust, created by the ducklings' movements, likely resulted in the introduction of the bacteria and fungal spores into the air sacs.

In summary, good husbandry is a key factor in managing captive-born mallards. Overcrowding, with subsequent gross fecal contamination and poor ventilation were the primary factors in these birds deaths. Further, water contamination of E. coli can pose a potential threat of human exposure to the facility caretakers and possibly to humans and animals downstream from the facility. Additionally, the potential use of subclinically infected birds as game could potentially affect consumers (hunters and their families) either during the cleaning and cooking process or if the meat is undercooked. This case study highlights the importance of good husbandry in facilities that raise captive mallards for game preserves."

Next, let's go to a pet care website where one vet states,

"Aspergillosis is the most common fungal infection in birds caused by aspergella fumigates. Although birds are commonly exposed to the spores of this fungus, they develop the disease only under certain conditions. If a bird's immune system is suppressed by a concurrent illness, malnutrition or stress, it may become sick after exposure. Stress-induced Aspergillosis is frequently seen in birds subjected to surgery, reproduction, environmental changes, capture, confinement or shipping.

Aspergella, as well as other fungi, grows readily in damp, dark conditions with poor ventilation. Encrusted fecal matter, damp feed, dirty feeding utensils and food that falls through cage grates all encourage mold growth. Interestingly, we see a high incidence of Aspergillosis in birds in the southwest where the environment is dry and not conducive to fungal replication. The speculation is the low humidity, coupled with the dusty environment, interferes with the normal mucous secretion in the birds' respiratory tracts and predisposes them to mycoses."

So, in several scientific journals, pathology reports, vetrinary reports and more, it appears the experts are telling us that, in most cases, some other "stressor" has to be present before the Aspergillosis can become invasive enough to cause such a wide-spread death.

Now, we have the formal report from Idaho Fish and Game:

"State and federal officials have confirmed that about 2,500 mallard ducks found dead southeast of Burley, died of an acute fungus infection.

The official cause of death is acute aspergillosis, a respiratory tract infection caused by a fungus commonly found in soil, dead leaves, moldy grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation."

And we have reports, even from the US Army, that in order for this to be the cause of death, another stressor should be present (ie tuberculosis, or e. coli, etc. etc.).

With that in mind, you really have to wonder... if there really is a conspiracy, who is at the helm?

They are calling it an outbreak, and...

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped with the investigation of this outbreak. As well as Dept. of Homeland Security in regards to testing for H5N1. And even, U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center -- QUOTE:

The chances are "extremely high" that Aspergillosis, which can create a fungal toxin on moldy grains and rotting corn, caused the mass die-off, Paul Slota, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., told The Associated Press.

Aspergillosis will not spread from bird to bird. All the dead mallards probably ate from the same tainted food source, Slota said.

"We've seen that before with birds that feed heavily on grains," he said. "Never in Idaho, but there have been enough reports elsewhere in North America. Aspergillosis die-offs are not a terribly uncommon thing. It happens."

Never in Idaho... hmmmm... which brings up a question of what happened to the 500 mallards that died the previous year in Iowa?

I also refer back to the F&W quote, "It's not contagious to people, not something for people to worry about. It's a relatively common waterfowl disease."Now why would he say that when spores that cause Aspergillosis have also been found by the Center for Disease Control to be...

"Ubiquitous in the environment. Found in soil, decomposing plant matter, household dust, building materials, ornamental plants, items of food, and water."

And a Merck drug site states,

"Aspergillus is very common and is frequently found in compost heaps, air vents, and airborne dust. Inhalation of Aspergillus spores is the primary cause of aspergillosis.

Aspergillosis usually affects open spaces in the body, such as cavities that have formed in the lungs from preexisting lung diseases. The infection may also occur in the ear canals and sinuses."

Interestingly enough, in the Idaho dead duck case, they haven't found the supposed source of the supposed contaminated grain.

And here in Jasper County, 4 out of 5 BZA members believe a calf farm located in the center of more than 800 homes poses no public health threat whatsoever. And for the record, the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Manager, Jim Bergen, believes manure from a hog CAFO won't have any effect on wildlife, either. What do 2500 dead Sandhill Cranes look like? (shudder)

Happy New Year!

Thousands of mallards dying

A lot of people have said, "What if you're wrong? What if all that manure being spread on the ground in the heart of an International Migratory Bird Flyway really doesn't hurt those birds at all?"

Frankly, I'm hoping I really AM WRONG. I'm praying that I am wrong.

In fact, I hope it isn't CAFO manure that caused the death of thousands of mallard ducks reported this month (Dec. 14/2006) in Idaho. QUOTE:

"Wildlife officials are calling the massive die-off alarming, with the number of dead mallards rising from 1,000 Tuesday to more than 2,000 by Wednesday afternoon." (link)

As I read the news article, this quote caught my eye:

"Preliminary findings by state veterinarians suggest the mallards succumbed to a bacterial infection, officials said. They said it was unclear why a similar outbreak had never before occurred in Idaho."

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center stated that the only mallard die-off roughly equivalent in recent years happened in Waterloo, Iowa in 2005, when 500 ducks died from a fungus.

Now, I know researchers will NOT implicate livestock manure in any way... I've noticed a trend where vetrinary scientists always do their best to NOT implicate livestock operations in most research of this nature. Hey, it's just my observations -- not fact. Who knows, maybe there are studies that prove otherwise.

But what I am saying, have said repeatedly, you can't keep dumping more and more tons of pathogen-laden manure on more and more and more ground throughout the USA and not expect something to happen -- sooner or later.

The Gloves are Off in Jasper County

Citizens for Responsible Government... that's the orange flyers that were being passed around during the meeting tonight. They'll be setting up a website soon where you can contact them, and they're looking for volunteers now. If you're interested in making positive changes happen in our area -- you definitely want to be a part of this. Contact me if you want me to put you in touch with the organizers...

Meanwhile, back to the meeting tonight.

Nine uniformed police officers were stationed at various points inside the building. At least one police car was outside patrolling the parking area... there may have been more -- not sure.

And as you might have already guessed, the BZA ruled, yet again, in favor of this new CAFO trashing our neighborhoods.

Yes, there were protests made when the CAFO rep was given free reign to give, what appeared to the crowd as a full blown presentation -- that was stopped quickly by the opposition lawyers, not the BZA lawyer.

Yes, there were considerable feelings of disappointment, disgust, anger and more rippling through the audience.

Yes, there will be appeals...

The vote regarding whether or not the new proposed Veal calf operation would endanger public health: 4 to 1 -- 4 saying it would not, 1 saying it would.

The vote regarding whether or not it would take away from surrounding area residents' enjoyment of their properties: 4 to 1 -- 4 saying it would not interfere with residents, 1 saying it would.

The vote regarding whether or not it would negatively impact property values, etc.: 3 to 2 -- 3 saying it would not, 2 saying it would.

The vote regarding infrastructures already being in place for the planned facility: 5 said they were already in place.

The vote regarding egress and ingress: 5 said they were already in place.

In other words -- it's been voted in -- by people who don't live anywhere near where this facility is going -- people who don't drink our water -- people who don't have to breath our air -- people who don't have to smell it, hear it, live with it ...day in and day out.

Three of those five people had every intention of voting in favor of the CAFO on all issues. Don't ask me how I know this. Ask them. More specifically, ask John Korniak. Don't expect the truth. You'll have to dig deep for that... and all his connections to CAFOs and more.

Those 3 men have placed my family in harms way.

Whatever the future brings, should anything serious happen as a result of this decision tonight, my hope is that they will be held accountable.

And now, I have some very serious questions for IDEM, since they used the excuse that IDEM regulates these CAFOs so well as part of their reasoning to allow this one to go forward. In fact, I have a few questions regarding the hog farm as well. Hi Jon... yes, I noticed you standing there.

Now, I'm not a hoosier by birth. My husband is. My son is. Here's a curious question...

What happens when you push a hoosier up against the wall and threaten his livelihood, his family, his home?

2007 the year of responsibility and accountability

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, tonight -- Dec. 27, 2006 -- at 7:00 pm CST at the Jasper County Fairgrounds ... the BZA will announce their decision on the Special Exception Permit requested by Mark Shuringa and Gilbert Den Dulk.

I also mentioned that I'd like to look hopefully to the new year ahead as being the "year of responsibility and accountability" in regards to CAFOs -- both present and proposed -- for the State of Indiana.

Accountability -- responsibility -- Indiana Government ...

I'm guessing the year ahead will be a wake-up call for many different reasons as the Federal Government steps in to take stronger actions in preparation for the 2008 elections.

It's already happening...

For one example, on October 5, 2006 the Federal EPA announced, QUOTE:

"In an important action to protect the health and environment of its citizens, the city of Indianapolis signed a consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make more than $1.86 billion in improvements to curb overflows from its sewer system." (link)

What's important to note about this particular case is that, even though no one (to their knowledge) had gotten sick as a result of the deficiencies in the Indianapolis sewer system, the Federal EPA stepped in anyway because it has been proven elsewhere that the situation could lead to outbreaks in disease. Quote:

"Although EPA is not aware of any health problems from sewage overflow in Indianapolis, nationwide, sewer overflows can lead to outbreaks of disease from such substances as E.coli bacteria and cryptosporidium."

Now, I've already brought up calf manure issues relating to c. parvum (aka cryptosporidium) and E. coli -- on more than one occassion in this blog.

I've also provided links to scientific studies directly linking calf manure to these same health risks, including the dangers as they relate to shallow wells, public waters, etc., etc.

But the burden of proof as it pertains to public health threats/risks does not rest on my shoulders...

One of the duties of due diligence the BZA must perform before reaching their final decision is the public health risk/threat-potential for the proposed calf factory at this location. To ignore this issue would be a violation of public trust, in my humble opinion.

The burden of proof that this proposed calf operation poses absolutely no threat to public health rests on their shoulders.

I'm hoping they have done their due diligence.

Because, you see, if they haven't done their homework, there are other entities out there right now doing homework of their own. Quote:

"Investigations by Federal and State agents have turned up a number of cases of inappropriate procedures and fraud that have the potential to affect human health. Because of the complexities of evaluating the effects of data manipulations and falsifications that occurred in several of the laboratory fraud cases, the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigators have been unable to determine the actual health risks and magnitude of population affected." (link)

The report provides details of investigations into EPA and/or State certified public water testing laboratories in our nation. The number of fraud cases is on the rise. I wonder if any Indiana laboratories are under investigation?

Until I started reading through the EPA cases completed in recent years, I had no idea that they had Special Agents. One particular case on the long list of Environmental actions caught my eye, about "Conspiracy to Violate Environmental Laws" ...this is new terminology to me.

What would fall under that category?

Would separating large CAFOs into smaller groups under separate legal ownership (connected by marriage) to avoid more stringent Federal regulations qualify? Would filing for environmental permits indicating 4-head under Federal regulating guidelines while building a facility to contain 1,000-head over Federal regulating guidelines qualify? I don't know. I'm no lawyer.

I didn't hear an answer from the BZA on the hog farm permits, and the strange number of 2,496 swine (2500 would place them under Federal environmental requirements i.l.o. State regulations)... and I didn't get a satisfactory answer in the IDEM response on the same subject. Maybe I need to ask the OIG?

See you tonight, 7 pm CST, at the Jasper County Fairgrounds where the BZA will announce their decision regarding the Special Exception Permit.