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U.S. NEWS Saturday 27 January 2018

Report calls for hog farm moratorium, new permit system

By DAVID PITT try but considers it good for
Associated Press farmers and good for the
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — economy of Iowa, the na-
A new report on the rapid tion’s leading pork produc-
expansion of hog farms er which had nearly 23 mil-
in Iowa calls for a mora- lion pigs as of the USDA De-
torium on new barns and cember inventory report.
concludes that the state’s That was nearly a quarter
regulatory system is failing of the national supply of
to protect the environment 73.2 million. The next closest
and public health for the state was North Carolina
sake of profit of the po- with 9.3 million hogs.
litically powerful livestock “We understand there are
industry. “A tipping point concerns out there and we
has been reached. Rural believe those concerns are
Iowans have every reason being addressed by the
to be concerned,” said the current system understand-
report released Thursday ing that others don’t,” said
by retired University of Iowa Eldon McAfee, an agricul-
professors James Merchant ture law attorney who rep-
and David Osterberg. resents the Iowa Pork Pro-
Merchant is professor ducers Association.
emeritus of Public Health He said producers believe
and Medicine and found- A hog stands in a pen at a farm near Perry, Iowa. A new report released Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, on the current permit system
the rapid expansion of hog farms in Iowa concludes that the state’s regulatory system is failing to
ed the College of Public protect the environment and public health for the sake of profit of the politically powerful livestock in effect for 16 years has
Health and Osterberg is industry. worked and farmers have
professor emeritus of Occu- (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) complied with its require-
pational and Environmen- The report concludes that sustainable given its high in- ommendations including ments and continue to
tal Health. He is co-founder livestock production con- put costs, rising energy de- revision of the permitting be held responsible when
of the Iowa Policy Project, tributes to degradation of mands, fresh water needs, process for new barns that there are accidental spills
a liberal-leaning Iowa City- water quality, increased climate change, and ad- would allow for increased of manure into creeks or
based nonprofit group that cases of asthma and other verse environmental and local input, a moratorium streams. On the health
offers research on environ- illnesses among residents public health impacts,” on new construction and claims, McAfee said he
mental, economic, energy near hog confinement op- the report concluded. “The establishment of land cov- knows of no court case
and tax policies, which re- erations and a 20 to 40 per- very real pushback from enants and other local le- where it has been prov-
leased the report. cent decline in the value of rural residents and commu- gal strategies to limit local en that a hog farm has
They point out that the homes near hog farms be- nities will, however, be sus- livestock barn growth. been proven responsible
number of Iowa livestock cause of the odor. “The cur- tained.” Merchant and Os- The pork industry acknowl- for causing individual’s
farms called concentrated rent industrial model is not terberg made several rec- edges growth in the indus- illness.q
animal feeding operations
or CAFOs has grown to
more than 10,000 from 722 Tale of 2 Bangors:
in 2001. The annual growth
or expanded barns a year Same-named cities’ mayors make Super bet
has been around 500 new
for the last decade. Most
of them are built to house BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Mayor Ben Sprague, of shoes and is popular in teams in this year’s Super
pigs to satisfy the rapidly A pair of football-crazed Maine, is placing a host Pennsylvania. Beer, choco- Bowl, but I think the ones
growing export market for communities in Pennsylva- of Maine-centric items on late and coffee are also from New England will be
pork, which grew to nearly nia and Maine are looking the line, including a box up for grabs. The mayors celebrating Super Bowl
$6 billion in 2016, up 7 per- to get a bit more Bangor for of whoopee pies, a blue- are also engaged in some night.” Bangor, Maine, is a
cent in one year. their buck out of the Super berry pie and a collection good-natured taunting. city of about 32,000 people
Exports to the China and Bowl game. of books by local resident Kerzner said: Philadelphia about 130 miles north of
Hong Kong markets broke The mayors of Bangor, Stephen King. quarterback “Nick Foles Portland. It’s the third-larg-
the $1 billion mark for the Maine, and Bangor, Penn- Mayor Brooke Kerzner, of can soar like an Eagle even est city in the state. Bangor,
first time in 2016 and ex- sylvania, said Friday they Pennsylvania, is placing when he is surrounded by Pennsylvania, is a borough
ports are expected to fur- have placed a wager on two slate boards for the a bunch of turkeys from of about 5,000 residents
ther expand to meet Chi- the Feb. 4 game between game quoits, pronounced New England.” Sprague re- not far from the New Jersey
na’s insatiable appetite for the New England Patriots like “kwates,” on the line. sponded that there might state line. It’s about 90 miles
pork. and Philadelphia Eagles. Quoits is similar to horse- be “two Bangors and two north of Philadelphia.q