Eagle Rock Group Appealing CAFO Permit

The appeal, filed by Mark Stephenson, a Joplin resident, who owns a farm near the site, and by Friends of Roaring River, a resident's group, will mount a challenge based on water quality issues. The Joplin Globe, Sunday, March 25, 2007 article reports that the Friends of Roaring River are encouraging those who are concerned about the future of the river, to write letters to the Administrative Hearing Commission by April 1, 2007. Letters may be faxed to 573-751-5018 or mailed to the Administration Hearing Commission, P.O. Box 1557, Jefferson City, MO. 65102.

DNR Thumbs its Arrogant Nose at Public Dissent, Again

Mr Albert Midoux, of Anderson MO has his Letter to the Editor published in The Joplin Globe, Sunday, March 25, 2007. I'd say that he covers the important issues in Missouri.

Change of Guard Needed. The citizens of Missouri are again receiving the shaft from their loyal politicos in Jefferson City and the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR is one of several agencies formed to protect our environment and natural resources. An agency, some believe, that will protect the quality of our aquifers and streams.

It has done neither! The Department of Natural Resources has again thumbed its arrogant nose at public dissent in issuing another CAFO (concentrated animal-feeding operation) permit in very close proximity to Roaring River State Park.

Governor Blunt quickly appointed the present director of DNR Doyle Childers to, in his words, “expedite the issuance of operating permits for CAFOs,” and in this aspect has shown great success, issuing permits as quickly as possible with no obvious interest in public opinion or negative impact of his decisions, showing little regard or total disregard for neighboring states and their concerns of polluted streams from Missouri crossing their borders.

Mr. Childers feels confident of support he has received from Main Street Missouri. The support in laying out the red carpet for Moark’s 3 million hen expansion which added 30 or so low-paying jobs just sniffing distance from Crowder College. The mayor, council members and political cheerleaders should be credited for adding aroma to the curriculum.

When Renewable Environmental Solutions, “a rendering plant designed to produce oil” was “inflicted” upon Carthage, it was hailed as a step toward energy independence. This failed endeavor has yielded more stench and misery than energy independence.

The stench continues to prevail, and the DNR will appear occasionally with their “stink-o-meter” and look confused, while the bureaucrats in Jefferson City are busy pushing for legislation to silence public and media dissent of “mega animal-feeding concentrations.”

DNR Lacks "Will and Authority"

The Environmental Task Force of Jasper and Newton Counties has joined opponents of Missouri Senate Bill 364, saying that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has a "proven record of being ineffective". The Joplin Globe reported, Sunday March 25, 2007, that SB 364 would rescind health ordinances designed to regulate CAFOs that already have been adopted by 16 of the state’s 114 counties, and would make it tougher for a property owner who lives near a CAFO to sue the operation over nuisance issues. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville. After reviewing the bill, the executive board of the two-county task force decided to urge local legislators to vote against it and, at the same time, seek additional regulatory authority for the DNR. Members of the task force say health ordinances are being adopted by Missouri counties because the DNR lacks “the will and authority to adopt appropriate rules and regulations, and the financial resources to enforce the rules and regulations.”

The Environmental Task Force of Jasper and Newton Counties have sent letters, expressing opposition to SB 364 to: State Senator Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, and State Representatives Steve Hunter, Ron Richard, Marilyn Ruestman, Bryan Stevenson and Kevin Wilson, who represent Southwest Missouri. The letters say that “counties have the responsibility to protect the health, welfare and safety of its citizens. SB 364 limits a county’s ability to discharge that responsibility.”

The article states that about 30% (153 out of 517) of the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's) in Missouri, are in southwest Missouri (Jasper-10 CAFO's, Newton-33, Barry-62, Barton-1, McDonald-32 and Lawrence-15, Counties).

Odor Rule Stakeholder Workgroup

The Joplin Globe, reported in Sunday, March 11, 2007 headline, 'Not Enough Smellees' questions from Carthage Mayor Jim Woestman regarding the make-up of the State's Odor Workshop Participants. Mayor Jim Woestman said he did some research on those named to the committee and it appeared to him the group needed more representation from people who smell the odors and less from industries creating the smells. “They’ve got people on there from Changing World Technologies (which developed the RES plant), from Tyson Foods and Premium Standard Farms,” Woestman said. “It seems to me there are too many smellers and not enough smellees.”

Polluters and Cronies of Polluters
Brian Appel, Changing World Technology
Jamie Burr, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Don Nikodim, Missouri Pork Association
Dave Drennan, Missouri Dairy Association
Dave Townsend, Premium Standard Farms
Missouri Farm Bureau

Environmentalists
Terry Spence, Citizens legal Environmental Action Network (CLEAN)
Ted Heisel, Washington University for CLEAN
Roger Walker, Regulatory Environmental Group for Missouri
Dwayne (Bill) Miller, Missouri Stream team
Ken Midkiff, Sierra Club

Questionable position or presumed neutral
Leanne Tippett Mosby, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Environmental Quality
Robert Brundage, Newman, Comley, & Ruth for MO, AG
Jay Shipman, Missouri Association of Counties
Morris Westfall, Governor's Ombudsman
Jane Drummond, Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)
Dan Engemann, Department of Agriculture
Joe Bindbeutel, Missouri Attorney's General Office
Joe Engeln, DNR
Brian D. Newby, DNR, Air Pollution Control Program

If I have pegged someone in the wrong category, please let me know. I guess that we'll have to wait for the first group vote, for those listed as questionable or presumed neutral, to make their position known. We are watching!

2000 head cattle CAFO Jasper County

Cattle operation files CAFO plans The Joplin Globe reporter Susan Ready describes Triple C Cattle Co's plan to build a 2,000 head cattle CAFO at 9047 County Road 70, Avilla, MO. 64859. The owner, John Charleston, said that the CAFO would be on 14 acres, and in addition to approximately 1,000 head of cattle that Triple C Cattle Co. keeps during the summer months. The article indicated that Triple C Cattle Co. had a complaint regarding a manure runoff problem 2 years ago, that Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) investigated. MDNR did not cite the operation for a violation but did note manure-control problems that needed to be corrected.
[Click on GoogleEarth photo for larger view of Triple C Cattle Co.]

Update #1 on GBE and Webster County Ethanol Plant

An update on the controversy surrounding Citizens of Rogersville ( Webster County) MO vs. Gulfstream Bioflex Energy, November 2006, is reported by Wes Johnson and Donna Baxter in the Springfield New Leader, Wells will be safe, company vows. They quote GBE President James Kaiman as saying that, Gulfstream Bioflex Energy promises to drill neighbors' wells deeper if the company's proposed ethanol plant used too much water.


Ethanol plant foes pack courtroom The Marshfield Mail reports on the lawsuit filed by a grass roots group (Citizens for Groundwater Protection of Webster County) against Gulfstream Bioflex Energy, which wants to locate a $165 million ethanol plant between Rogersville and Fordland. This is a great resource document for identifying issues in the case.

GBE withdraws preliminary request for air permit The Springfield Business Journal, Matt Wagner reports that Gulfstream Bioflex Energy LLC,(GBE) a Mount Vernon company hoping to build a corn-based ethanol plant near Rogersville has temporarily withdrawn its request for air modeling inventories in Newton, Jasper and McDonald counties, a state official said. Last month, GBE notified the Missouri Department of Natural Resources that the inventories, a preliminary step toward an air pollution permit, were not a priority, said Permits Section Chief Kyra Moore. The company’s move does not rule out future plant proposals by GBE in those counties, she said. “Newton, Jasper and McDonald counties are not our main focus at this time.”

"It's my land..." says Michelle Ozbun

"It's my land; it's my right to make a living," says Michelle Ozbun, standing with husband Rodney on the Ozbun farm site where they plan to build a chicken CAFO, despite protests from neighbors. The Ozbuns now raise meat goats and some horses on their 75-acre family farm, but people like Jim Riedel don't consider the Ozbuns farmers. "That's 80 acres of rocks up there," he said of the farm where the Ozbuns live in a mobile home. "It's not good for anything other than goats and, now, chicken houses. I don't call that a farm." Springfield News Leader

Michelle’s attitude of “it’s my land” and I can do what I want with it, is hardly a picture of good fiduciary responsibility, a long term vision, a successful business, and a neighborly attitude. We have all heard of or had one of these neighbors. Following the public hearing, Michele said "I didn't know anybody in that room, nor did Dad." To me, that means she hasn’t spent much time getting to know her neighbors. If 200+ people showed up at a meeting in opposition to something that I wanted to do, I would (1) reconsider the project, (2) relocate the project elsewhere, or (3) try and work with the neighbors to come up with a solution, everyone could live with. This concept of “it’s mine” sounds a lot like the kindergarten child on the playground. You would think that as adults Rodney and Michelle would have learned the skills of getting along, sharing, and listening.

Barry County, CAFO's and Ozbun Farms, Part 3

The Joplin Globe reported Friday, March 2, 2007 about the experiences of Missouri citizens at the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources Committee, wanting to speak against SB 364. Representatives of a group called, Friends of Roaring River, said supporters of the bill were given preferential treatment compared with the treatment afforded opponents of the bill. Jim Riedel, a member of the group said “They let everyone who supported the bill have their say, and then, when it was our turn, they cut us off. We never had an opportunity. We are fighting for local control, and the way we were treated is a good example of why we need local control. We had no representation. You could just see that the small person was getting run over. The whole procedure was disappointing.”

State grants permit for 65,000-chicken CAFO, The Joplin Globe reported, Saturday, March 3, 2007, that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) approved Ozbun Farms' construction permit to build a 65,000 chicken CAFO a half-mile from Roraring River (Barry County). Opponents say they plan to appeal. They also plan to continue pursuit of a health ordinance in Barry County that will give local officials more control over where future CAFOs would be permitted to locate. Sixteen other Missouri counties have adopted such ordinances.

Groups propose 'halo' buffer zones Mike Penprase, Springfield News Leader, describes the controversy, across Missouri, surrounding CAFO's and State Parks, State Historic Sites and sites on the National Register of Historic Places. [Click on map to enlarge]