shorthorns r us
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2007
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Attorney General Drew Edmondson Willing to Go After the Cattle Industry Over Manure in Watersheds...
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As the hearing continues over whether the state of Oklahoma has the right to end all application of manure in the Illinois River watershed, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson appears to have no qualms about litigating against cattle producers as well as poultry companies. In response to some of the arguments raised by attorneys representing the Poultry industry in the continuing legal confrontation- arguments that point the finger of bacterial blame towards the cattle industry- Edmondson told the Northwest Arkansas Gazette for their Internet edition that "We are willing to go where the evidence takes us," this in reference to a question of whether he would be willing to expand his battle against the poultry industry to other livestock species- most notably cattle.
The Claims of the Oklahoma Attorney General are that the biggest offender of bacterial pollution into the Illinois River is the poultry industry. Meanwhile, it's the contention of the Poultry Industry that there has been no science based study pinpointing that poultry is the big offender- and that there are multiple sources of any pollution that ends up in the Illinois River. On Monday, an expert witness for the Poultry industry told the court that manure from an estimated 200,000 cattle raised in the watershed proved a better environment for bacteria to grow in, instead of the poultry litter that is spread on farm fields as a dust-like material and exposed to sunlight that kills contaminants.
The arguments over all things fecal bacteria in the watershed continues, with most of animal agriculture very concerned that the AG, if he has the ruling come his way in Tulsa, puts animal agriculture in deep manure over this battle of how much and where chicken litter can be applied to the land as a nutrient. Mr. Edmondson says the tolerance level is zero- at least in a stream where canoes are floating. He has told the court that he wants an injunction before the "spring rains" or otherwise the bacteria will wash into the Illinois River and potentially cause harm to thousands of people floating down the Illinois.
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As the hearing continues over whether the state of Oklahoma has the right to end all application of manure in the Illinois River watershed, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson appears to have no qualms about litigating against cattle producers as well as poultry companies. In response to some of the arguments raised by attorneys representing the Poultry industry in the continuing legal confrontation- arguments that point the finger of bacterial blame towards the cattle industry- Edmondson told the Northwest Arkansas Gazette for their Internet edition that "We are willing to go where the evidence takes us," this in reference to a question of whether he would be willing to expand his battle against the poultry industry to other livestock species- most notably cattle.
The Claims of the Oklahoma Attorney General are that the biggest offender of bacterial pollution into the Illinois River is the poultry industry. Meanwhile, it's the contention of the Poultry Industry that there has been no science based study pinpointing that poultry is the big offender- and that there are multiple sources of any pollution that ends up in the Illinois River. On Monday, an expert witness for the Poultry industry told the court that manure from an estimated 200,000 cattle raised in the watershed proved a better environment for bacteria to grow in, instead of the poultry litter that is spread on farm fields as a dust-like material and exposed to sunlight that kills contaminants.
The arguments over all things fecal bacteria in the watershed continues, with most of animal agriculture very concerned that the AG, if he has the ruling come his way in Tulsa, puts animal agriculture in deep manure over this battle of how much and where chicken litter can be applied to the land as a nutrient. Mr. Edmondson says the tolerance level is zero- at least in a stream where canoes are floating. He has told the court that he wants an injunction before the "spring rains" or otherwise the bacteria will wash into the Illinois River and potentially cause harm to thousands of people floating down the Illinois.
