I’ve never understood why humans want to destroy the biosphere that sustains them, but I guess if there’s a lot of money to be made, it’s easy to convince oneself that there’s no harm done.
I just got an email alert about H.B. 27:
Vote against HB 27 Protections for Agricultural Practices. This bill is a ‘get-out-of-jail free card’ for industrial agriculture.
In reference to the agricultural practice bill a paper was published from the University by Bob Crapo and Lisa Osbern entitled “Dung Lung”. It was about deaths and serious illness from the manure ponds at a Utah commercial pig operation. It was in the Annals of Internal Medicine in about 1980 or 1981 give or take a year or two.
1. Counties with industrial livestock operations have an increased rates of infant mortality. Most of the increased mortality occurs in the first month of life.
2. The manure generated by thousands of cows or pigs is associated with increased respiratory distress in infants, and spontaneous abortions.
3. Workers at such places have higher rates of respiratory diseases.
4. The correlation between morbidity and mortality is related to the air pollution generated by these operations, i.e. the ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and particulate matter.
Please pass this info to your colleagues.
Robin Dale, Physician Associate -Certified, MS Medicine
Family Practitioner
Here’s the proposed language change that I think is of concern (I am by no means an expert at reading bills):
45 (3) (a) [Agricultural operations that are consistent] Activities conducted in the normal
46 and ordinary course of agricultural operations, as defined in Subsection 78B-6-1101(7), or
47 conducted in accordance with sound agricultural practices are presumed to be reasonable and
48 do not constitute a public nuisance under Subsection (1) [unless the agricultural operation has a
49 substantial adverse effect on the public health and safety]
Having the last line eliminated does sound like a bad idea to my inexpert ears.
Filed under: Environment
