Ask legislators to oppose deregulation of Big Ag polluters

The people of Oklahoma voted against so-called the Right to Farm ballot measure by 58%-42% in November 2016. Now Oklahoma House Bill 1628 is another attempt to stop tracking and holding concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) accountable for large-scale pollution and significant damage to Oklahoma land, water and their neighbors' property.

House Bill 1528 came before the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee this week. This bill would eliminate a point system used by the State Board of Agriculture to document violations of large-scale agricultural polluters. Repeat offending polluters would be treated no differently that smaller farmers who have farmed responsibly on their smaller farms for generations.

In Oklahoma, CAFOs are agricultural operations where more than 1,000 animal units (equal to about 1,000 head of beef cattle, 700 dairy cows, 2,500 swine weighing more than 55 pounds, 125,000 broiler chickens or 82,000 laying hens or pullets) are kept in confinement for 45 days or more or that discharge into waterways. Some operations have million animals and must deal with their waste — often at the expense of other Oklahomans who are their unfortunate neighbors. These are not your family farmers and many are not from Oklahoma or the anywhere else in the U.S.

It is possible to love agriculture and still regulate it. We regulate nail salons and most other businesses and industries to protect Oklahomans from the few bad actors who would otherwise take advantage. Big Ag should not be exempt if they violate current laws. Please ask your state representative to vote no on HB 1628. Find out who that person is at www.oklegislature.gov/ FindMyLegislature.aspx.