Say NO to Corporate Interests (apologies for not updating the blog in time for this - ed.)

Say NO to Corporate Interests Pushing Factory Farms at the Expense of Democracy & the Environment

Legislation Gutting the Power of the MPCA Citizens’ Board to get a Hearing Wed., March 11 

In August 2014, neighbors to a proposed 8,850-cow factory farm in Stevens County called on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens' Board to protect their community. Among neighbors’ concerns was that each year this factory farm would have used close to 100 million gallons of water and generated over 75 million gallons of liquid manure. The MPCA Citizens’ Board listened and for the first time ever ordered an Environmental Impact Statement on a factory farm.

Corporate interests now want to GUT the power of the MPCA Citizens’ Board. Made up of eight members appointed by the Governor and the MPCA commissioner, the Citizens’ Board holds public hearings and has the final say on MPCA environmental review issues. The Citizens’ Board creates a public process and gives citizens a voice in the environmental review process. Minnesota House File 1394 would remove the authority of the MPCA Citizens’ Board when it comes to environmental review issues. Even though the MPCA Citizens’ Board seldom (and in the case of factory farms only once in its history) orders environmental review, that’s too much for corporate agriculture interests. House File 1394 is authored by Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), Rep. Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake), and Rep. Tim Miller (R- Prinsburg).