Oklahoma Attorney General's Gets Support To Fight Farm Lobby
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Siding with Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a key senator said she was ready to fight the powerful farm lobby to ensure animal waste isn't exempted from a federal anti-pollutionFriday, September 7th 2007, 12:42 pm
By:
News On 6
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Siding with Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a key senator said she was ready to fight the powerful farm lobby to ensure animal waste isn't exempted from a federal anti-pollution law.
"I'm ready to take this on," Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said at a hearing Thursday. "And I will have a lot of friends with me."
Boxer's comments came at the end of a hearing at which Edmondson, an Oklahoma State University professor and several other experts testified about the environmental impact of large animal operations.
Edmondson expressed opposition to efforts in Congress to redefine the term "hazardous waste" to exclude manure and anything that might be contained in or commingled with it. Such efforts, he said, would eliminate an important tool used by states.
Farm and livestock groups have waged a campaign to convince lawmakers that labeling manure as a hazardous waste would jeopardize farm operations of all sizes.
Edmondson sued 14 Arkansas-based poultry companies in 2005, claiming that they are legally responsible for the handling and disposal of poultry waste that has damaged portions of the Illinois River watershed.
State and environmental officials contend that after years of illegal spreading of chicken waste, which contains bacteria, antibiotics, growth hormones and harmful metals, is killing Oklahoma's scenic lakes.
Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said he was concerned about keeping the Illinois River watershed and Oklahoma waterways clean, but that he didn't want regulation "overkill" or any action that would raise the operating costs of Oklahoma farmers.
He said he supports the Senate bill to exempt animal manure from being defined as a hazardous waste.
"I've always said the best road to follow is protecting public health because, when you do that, everybody wins."
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