F.A.R.M. Bibliography About Livestock Factories (Illinois)

F.A.R.M. Bibliography About Livestock Factories (Illinois)

Another bibliography from Citizens for Responsible Practices

http://www.farmweb.org/icrpbib.htm
Illinois Livestock Advisory Committee Disbands
abruptly on 9/24/97, one day before its next scheduled meeting,
without issuing recommendations to the General Assembly

EPA orders Nordman Feedlots to stop discharges

March 1, 2006. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, No. 06-OPA032
CONTACT: Phillippa Cannon, (312) 353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov

CHICAGO - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has ordered Nordman Feedlots Inc., Oregon, Ill., to stop all unauthorized discharges of manure and wastewater and comply with the Clean Water Act. EPA also ordered the company to apply to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for a discharge permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

"When pollutants from livestock manure and other animal waste discharge into surface or ground water they can create a threat to public health and water resources," said EPA regional Water Division director Jo-Lynn Traub.

In June 2005, EPA inspected the feedlot and found it is a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) under the Clean Water Act because 2,000 cattle were confined at the site. The inspector also reported that pollutants from the facility were not contained and polluted runoff was discharging to an unnamed ditch that drains to the Kyte River, a tributary of the Rock River. The Clean Water Act prohibits manure and wastewater discharges from CAFOs unless authorized by a permit. Regulations require any person who discharges or proposes to discharge to apply for a permit.

The order also requires Nordman Feedlots to develop a plan to contain and adequately store manure and wastewater from its production area and submit the plan to EPA, Illinois EPA and the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Manure and wastewater from animal feeding operations have the potential to contribute pollutants to the environment such as nitrogen and phosphorus, organic matter, sediments and pathogens.

# # #
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/81dfbf1a0b671f3b85257018004ce441/7ffb5843d37775fc85257124005c4750!OpenDocument

Editorial: Plan to discourage farm complaints stinks [Senate Bill 2333]
Bloomington Pantagraph: March 1, 2006. Illinois legislators should do nothing to discourage people from reporting environmental problems on farms, especially factory-farms that have been a bone of contention for years. An amendment pending in the Senate would require complainants to provide their name and a mailing address before any complaint would be investigated. That's strange because the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency does the investigating. And it doesn't think there's a problem. In fact, it opposes the legislation. The agency averages only 25-30 anonymous calls a year on farm problems, which include odor, according to IEPA spokeswoman Maggie Carson. The IEPA has five farm specialists, so that means an average of six calls per inspector maximum...
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/03/01/opinion/107691.txt

Senate targets livestock lawsuits [Senate Bill 2744]
State legislators move to restrict nuisance claims made against facilities before they open
Peoria Journal Star

February 28, 2006. PEORIA - A bill passed recently by the Illinois Senate restricting nuisance lawsuits regarding agriculture is drawing mixed reviews around the state. While supporters say the bill will encourage development of livestock in the state, opponents say it stifles the rights of rural citizens. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville, said Senate Bill 2744, passed last week and now awaiting consideration in the House, would help the Illinois livestock industry that has been hampered by nuisance lawsuits in the past... Naperville-based attorney Fred Roth, now involved in law suits with three Illinois livestock operations, said he was puzzled by the bill. "I don't see how it helps them. A nuisance lawsuit tells the owners that the neighbors believe the facility will be a problem - before they build it," Roth said. "It's simplistic to say that the only way we know if something can be a nuisance is for it exist. That's never been the law in Illinois." Critics of the bill argue such legislation will place the rights of Illinois citizens second to the owners of large-scale livestock operations...

Senate Bill 2744 status: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=2744&GAID=8&GA=94&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=23730&SessionID=50

Senate Bill 2744 full text: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=50&GA=94&DocTypeId=SB&DocNum=2744&GAID=8&LegID=23730&SpecSess=&Session=

Editorial: Don't stifle private farm complaints [Senate Bill 2333]
Peoria Journal Star: February 13, 2006. State Sen. Dale Risinger ought to think twice about co-sponsoring legislation requiring that people who complain to the state about farm violations identify themselves. The bill would have a chilling effect on the state's most effective watchdogs - normal, everyday residents living in rural areas. The legislation is an attempt by the Illinois Farm Bureau to stifle opposition to industrial-sized livestock operations...
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/021306/EDI_B8UK4KU4.059.shtml

Letter to Editor: State needs public's noses, eyes to check possible pollution
Peoria Journal Star: February 13, 2006. Illinois Senate Bill 2333 has been instigated by factory farm supporters, including the Farm Bureau. This bill is a dangerous step backward and contrary to the spirit and intent of the federal Clean Water Act, which advises states to encourage, not discourage, the public reporting of pollution...
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/021306/FOR_B8U9EHNV.059.shtml

Farm complaint legislation flawed [Senate Bill 2333]
Terry Bibo, Peoria Journal Star: February 4, 2006. State Sen. Dale Risinger issued a press release Wednesday trumpeting a bill he co-sponsored to stop "a rash of anonymous - and false - environmental complaints about farming operations." ...There's a question about how many complaints constitute a "rash." There's a question about how many complaints are false. There's a question as to how many farms have been stopped or even slowed by such complaints. And there's a question about whether people have highly unfrivolous reasons to remain anonymous. Like maybe they work at a place that is breaking the law and could lose their jobs if their names leak out...
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/020406/TER_3JFLIJE.025.shtml

Press Release: Families Against Rural Messes opposes Senate Bill 2333
Industry led bill prohibits anonymous complaints
Hearing for the bill is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2006.: February 3, 2006. Elmwood, IL -- SB 2333 is an industry led initiative that would amend the Environmental Protection Act and would prohibit anonymous citizen complaints against farming operations including confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Illinois. If the bill is enacted, all citizens who lodge a complaint would have to provide personal information to the EPA before any pollution claim would be investigated...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/20060203_PR_SB2333_anonymous.htm

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
NPDES Permitting Update

Five Informational Meetings around Illinois
on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
March 26 - April 10, 2003

Dairy developer cited for violations
News-Gazette: September 1, 2001. BELLFLOWER -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has cited the developer of a proposed area mega-dairy farm for nine water pollution violations at a mega-dairy farm he owns in Wisconsin. But Illinois agriculture officials said the findings in Wisconsin may have little impact on whether they permit the developer to build the proposed farm in Bellflower...
http://www.news-gazette.com/ngsearch/story.cfm?number=10030

[Champaign] County board on record against Bellflower dairy
News-Gazette: February 21, 2001. URBANA -- Apparently swayed by a crowd of 45 people, the Champaign County Board voted 22-1 Tuesday night to oppose a proposed 4,300-cow dairy near Bellflower... The resolution about the proposed Stone Ridge Dairy has no legal effect because the dairy would be sited in McLean County, about 4 miles south of Bellflower. But opponents of the dairy, who made up most of the crowd, said they believed passage of the resolution would help them convince the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the proposed dairy farm's owner, George Kasbergen, not to go ahead with the project...
http://www.news-gazette.com/ngsearch/story.cfm?number=8874

Residents oppose dairy plan
News-Gazette: August 26, 2000. BELLFLOWER -- University of Illinois officials say a dairy planned for the Bellflower area will set standards for the industry and give the local economy a boost. But residents who live near the site air a long list of financial, environmental and infrastructure concerns. UI extension specialist Michael Hutjens, who has had contact with California dairyman George Kasbergen, said Kasbergen plans to build a dairy that will be by far the biggest one in the state...
http://www.news-gazette.com/ngsearch/story.cfm?number=7795

IL Dept of Ag advisory to prevent spread of pseudorabies: March 24, 2000. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is urging pork producers to take safety precautions in the wake of confirmed cases of a highly infectious swine disease in two northern Illinois counties. Two herds in Henry County and one in Whiteside County have tested positive since mid-February for pseudorabies, a contagious respiratory disease caused by the herpes virus. While the disease poses no threat to humans, it can devastate a swine herd and cause huge financial losses for producers...
http://www.agr.state.il.us/newsrels/rO324001.htm
Also see: 02/27/2000: Pseudorabies takes toll on Iowa farms

Dirty Water, Dirty Business
Prairie Rivers releases report on the Illinois Farm Bureau: September, 1999. Prairie Rivers Network released "Dirty Water, Dirty Business" at a press conference in the State Capitol Building. "Dirty Water, Dirty Business" examines Illinois' number one source of water pollution -- the agricultural industry -- and reveals how the industry's most visible representative, the Illinois Farm Bureau, delays progress on solving water quality problems caused by that industry...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/199909_prn_dwdb.htm

IEPA Press Release: New Livestock Regulations Will Require Waste Release Notification: February 2, 1999. Springfield, Ill. -- Regulations that require releases of livestock waste from lagoons to be reported to the state were recently adopted by the Illinois EPA, in response to an amendment of the Livestock Management Facilities Act in June 1998. An owner or operator of a livestock waste lagoon is now required to report any release to the environment within 24 hours after discovery of the release by calling 800-782-7860, a 24-hour line maintained by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. Information to be reported includes the location, amount, and apparent environmental impacts of the release. A written report to the Illinois EPA confirming the information provided by telephone is required within five days after discovery of the release... For additional information of the release reporting requirements, contact the Illinois EPA, Bureau of Water, Field Operations Section, at 217-782-3362. The new livestock waste release reporting rules will soon be available on the Internet. (Press Release Contact: Joan Muraro 217-785-7209)
http://www.epa.state.il.us/news-releases/1999/1999-109.html

Gott v. M'Orr - $2,500 air pollution fine plus cease and desist order
Illinois Pollution Control Board

April 16, 1998. Donetta Gott, Lyndell Chapin, Gary Wells, Earnest L. Ellison and Maxine Ellison v. M'Orr Pork, Inc. The Board entered an order in this citizens air enforcement action involving a Pike County facility, finding respondent in violation of Section 9(a) of the Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/9(a) (1996)) and 35 Ill. Adm. Code 501.402(c)(3), ordered the payment of a civil penalty of $2,500, and to cease and desist from further violations...
http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/MEETING/ACTIONS/980416.htm

http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/MEETING/opinion/1998/0416/p96068o.pdf
http://www.outreach.uiuc.edu/livestock/SOWM/regs/topics/odor.htm
Dissenting opinion: http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/MEETING/opinion/1998/0416/p96068.pdf

1997/09/30: Proceedings transcript
Text - http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/MEETING/TRANSCRI/p96068a.txt
PDF - http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/MEETING/TRANSCRI/p96068a.pdf

The Journal Star, Peoria, Illinois
http://pjstar.com

Editorial: Fixing the hog farm law: Tuesday, May 13, 1997. General Assembly should protect rural communities before water is contaminated. In the General Assembly, sometimes a first step never leads to a second. That's the case with Illinois' half-hearted effort to regulate mega-hog farms.
Editorial: See no hog farms...: Monday, July 28,1997. Committee has obligation to learn as much as possible about massive, controversial facilities. "The House-Senate Joint Livestock Advisory Committee seems to be going out of its way not to gather information."
Editorial: Put the State EPA in charge: Monday, August 11, 1997. Department of Agriculture too closely tied to the factory farming industry to regulate it. ...When lawmakers reconvene this fall, one of their first tasks should be to relieve the Department of Agriculture of its oversight of factory livestock farms and give those responsibilities to the EPA.
Farm Bureau "Hogwash": Letter to Editor, 9/13/97 Peoria Journal Star
What's the big stink? (Two part series): Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997. Five articles by Lisa Cloat: (1) Hog business raising weighty issues for area; (2) Consumers are caught in the middle between hog producers and their vocal opponents; (3) Hog company's Missouri arrival seemed quieter; (4) Hog facility dispute takes toll on one family; (5) Opposing forces are gathering steam.; Monday, Sept. 29, 1997. Two more articles by Lisa Cloat: (1) Farms' neighbors play waiting game; (2) Scent of conflict lingers in the air.
Megahog foes upbeat despite another defeat: Thursday, October 30, 1997. Page A-1.House panel rejects siting restrictions, but another bill possible in Senate.
Editorial: A vote against central Illinois: Sunday, November 2, 1997. Rejecting reasonable restrictions on factory hog farms endangers this area. ...In both the House and the Senate, committees rejected regulations that weren't perfect but could have gone a long way toward making the livestock factories flooding Illinois safer.
Editorial: They need to hear from you: Monday, November 3, 1997. Call lawmakers who voted against regulating livestock farms; tell them to protect Illinois' air, water. [Here's] a list of 17 state lawmakers...who refused to approve reasonable proposals to protect Illinois' water, air and rural communities from industrial-size livestock farms.

SAMPLE LETTER

YOUR LEGISLATORS

Knox County asks high court to rule on hog farms: Friday, November 7,1997. GALESBURG -- In a possible precedent-setting move, Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri has petitioned the Illinois Supreme Court asking it to rule whether counties can regulate mega-livestock farms. By Lisa Cloat
Editorial #1: No opinion on factory farms?: Saturday, November 8, 1997. Preposterous that most candidates for governor are ducking the issue. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Glen Poshard this week declared himself a champion of tough legislation to regulate large livestock farms.
Editorial #2:A mega-hog farm near Morton?: Saturday, November 8, 1997. Since residents of the 89th district over in Tazwell County have proved themselves so fond of re-electing Jay Ackerman to champion their interests in the state legislature, we suppose they'll have no objection if a mega-hog factory decides to build it's giant, open-air toilet not far from where they reside.
Editorial #3: Are pols in Springfield that smart?: [Yup...three editorials in one day!]
Devil or Godsend?: November 10, 1997. Page A-1. Hog farm splits Utah town... Critics say stench overwhelms the smell of money. By Mike Carter, Associated Press.

House OKs mega-hog farm bill: November 15, 1997, Page A-1. SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House of Representatives voted 96-14 late Friday on a proposal meant to strengthen state regulation of mega-hog farms and other large-scale livestock facilities. The measure, which now heads to Gov. Jim Edgar's desk, was not the bill that a group of Peoria-area lawmakers had favored. But they supported the bill, saying it was better than nothing. "We're pretty disappointed with this bill, those of us who have worked and hoped that we might get something a little more comprehensive," said Rep. Ricca Slone, D-Peoria Heights. She said she hopes a more wide-ranging bill is developed next year.....

Mega-hog bills: Not over yet: November 23, 1997, Page A-7. SPRINGFIELD -- Mega-hog farms have been in the news plenty lately, but a couple of loose ends remain concerning the two pieces of legislation pushed in the General Assembly's just-ended fall veto session. ...the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, an environmental group that has consistently called for stronger regulations, opposed both bills. Chirag Mehta, agriculture program coordinator for the Stewardship Alliance, questioned how many facilities actually would be affected by the legislation. ...But during the past six months, most of the producers hoping to build large-scale livestock operations in Illinois have indicated they plan to use concrete underground pits--not lagoons--to store animal waste, Mehta said. When residents find out, for example, that the public hearing provision doesn't apply because a proposed livestock facility has a waste pit and not a lagoon, Mehta said, "I don't expect that people will react kindly to that situation."....

More than 1,000 fish die in creek: December 2, 1997. Page A-7. By Adriana Colindres. An estimated 1,250 minnows died last week in a Henderson County creek, and state officials are investigating whether ammonia from hog manure killed the fish... ...the manure release into the water appears to have been the result of applying swine manure on farm fields... Based on the sampling, the [Illinois Department of Natural Resources] biologist estimated that 1,250 minnows had died in shallow water. Testing indicated that the fish deaths weren't caused by a lack of oxygen, which sometimes happens in areas of heavy vegetation, Schweizer said. "The presumption (in this case) is it was an ammonia kill," he said,adding that would be consistent with liquefied manure getting into the creek....

IEPA: Recent manure spill likely accidental: December 2, 1997. By A. Rahim Owens. STRONGHURST -- A manure spill that killed about 1,250 minnows in an Henderson County creek recently was a probable accident, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. "The material (hog manure) was being applied to a field and got into a field tile, then discharged into the creek," IEPA official Joan Muraro said Tuesday. ... A state fisheries biologist said it's likely the fish died from ammonia, which is common in liquid hog manure. Muraro said the creek was "very small, and could only support minnows."...

Hog facility opens doors to curious: December 14, 1997, Page A1. By Lisa Cloat. Williamsfield -- They lined up a hundred at a time to board buses rented to take them the half mile to Illinois' first mega-hog facility under contract with Murphy family Farms, the nation's largest pork producer....

Group seeks assurances that farm will handle problems

December 14, 1997, Page A18. By Lisa Cloat. Williamsfield -- Amid chants of "Murphy go home," a group opposing mega-hog operations released a list of demands Saturday for owners of a Knox County facility under contract with North Carolina-based Murphy Family Farms.....

Governor signs law to boost livestock rules: January 3, 1998. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Agriculture now has the power to conduct annual manure lagoon inspections at some large-scale livestock facilities, such as mega-hog farms...But Chirag Mehta, agriculture program coordinator for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, said his organization "didn't see a whole lot of value" in the new law. "...it's a lot of smoke and mirrors."....

Kustra urges state to let counties veto large livestock farms: January 6, 1998, page B1. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- State lawmakers ought to give Illinoisans the power to decide if they want mega-hog farms and other large-scale livestock facilities in their communities, Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra said Monday. Kustra also called for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to have greater authority to inspect the farms before they start operating. "It's time for Illinois to draw a line in the muck being generated by the development of these mega-livestock facilities," Kustra said in a prepared statement. "We are witnessing rural communities under siege with little regard for local citizens and the environment. Some may call these facilities 'farms,' but their production and output really classify them more as factories deserving tighter local zoning and control."....

Hog farm to involve 2 counties: January 7, 1998, page A1. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- Two Illinoisans and an Iowa man plan to set up a large hog farm operation that eventually will house more than 87,000 sows and piglets in Fulton and Schuyler counties....which will stretch over more than 13,000 acres in five townships.....

Editorial: Let county boards decide: January 15, 1998, page A6. With almost lightning speed, Illinois' prairie is being turned over to thousands and thousands of hogs. Each month it seems there is an announcement about another huge hog factory coming to Illinois. The latest came last week with the unveiling of Prairie View Farms, the largest factory farm yet proposed for Illinois. When completed in two years, it will spread over 13,000 acres in five townships of western Fulton and eastern Schuyler counties and be home to 90,000 hogs in eight separate facilities...

Proposal would limit mega-farm locations: January 15, 1998, page A7. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- No new large-scale livestock farms should be built in Illinois until lawmakers give communities the power to control where such facilities may locate, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance said Wednesday. That porposed moratorium would halt plans for any new confinement operations with more than 500 animal units, which translates to 1,250 sows or 500 beef cows. It also would affect facilities now under construction if they exceed 500 animal units....

Critics of large livestock farms report threats: January 15, 1998, page A7. By Adriana Colindres. CARTHAGE -- The debate over how best to regulate Illinois' larg-scale livestock farms apparently has taken a new direction: death threats! Hancock County resident Edith Galloway, who has repeatedly called for stricter state regulations, said she and her husband received a threatening letter in the mail last week. A total of 11 people received the same anonymous letter, she said...

Kustra blasts mega-farm laws: February 10, 1998, page A1. By Elaine Hopkins. PEORIA -- Illinois Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra has issued a "White Paper on Large Livestock Facilities," blasting as inadequate current laws on these mega-farms, especially hog farms, and calling for stricter regulation..."Illinois could rapidly be home to a proliferation of large livestock confinement facilities producing tens of millions of gallons of manure and mountains of dead animals with a passing glance of regulatory oversight."....

SEE THE FULL TEXT OF LT. GOV. KUSTRA'S WHITE PAPER!

http://www.farmweb.org/b/19980206_kustra_wpaper.htm

More mega-farm control sought: February 11, 1998, page B1. By James Merriner. SPRINGFIELD -- Legislation to give county officials control over new mega-hog farms was proposed Tuesday by House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who said he has never visited on of the large-scale operations..."I have read at length on the problem," Madigan said at a news conference. "As I come to better understand the issues, I believe there are dramatic environmental issues which will concern everyone."...Also, the speaker asked the Agriculture Department to suspend approval of new mega-farms until the proposed local controls are in place....

How about a breath of fresh air?: February 11, 1998, page B2. By Terry Bibo. I always figured George Orwell was the only one who could cut the fog on mega-hogs, but the Illinois lieutenant governor has done an admirable job. ...It was Orwell who said "Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously and accepting both of them." It is Kustra who won't let them get away with it.....

Proposed mega-farm cited for violations: February 12, 1998, page B6. By Elaine Hopkins. Even before it opens, a proposed mega-dairy operation has received a violation notice from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for polluting a tributary of Kickapoo Creek in the Illinois River watershed. The pollution occurred despite approval of design and construction plans for David Inskeep's proposed Inwood Dairy LLC by both the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Peoria County's planning and zoning office. In documents, the IEPA lists five dates when pollution occured...

Editorial: Smell the pork a-cookin': February 17, 1998. If a suburban Republican and a Chicago Democrat can see eye to eye on an issue, it's safe to say both smell a political opportunity. So it appears with livestock factories locating in Illinois. Last week Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra blasted mega-hog farms in a research paper, suggesting that gaping loopholes in existing law leave Illinois "environmentally vulnerable" and ought to be closed. A day later House Speaker Michael Madigan also grabbed the piglet by the tail, proposing legislaton that would require local siting approval. He has asked for a moratorium on the construction of mega-hog confinements in the meantime...

Speaker creates panel to handle livestock bills: March 12, 1998. Page A1. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD--In a move that bypasses the typical legislative process, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is creating a new House committee to consider bills on mega-hog farms and other large scale-livestock operations. "We believe there are broader questions involved in this issue than purely agricultural," said Steve Brown, a spokesman for Madigan, D-Chicago. The special committee is expected to meet March 19, two days after the primary election, he said Wednesday...

New livestock panel advances mega-farm bill: March 20, 1998. Page A1. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD--Livestock farms with more than 500 animal units -- the equivalent of abut 1,250 adult hogs -- could not be built without county board approval, under a bill passed Thursday by an Illinois House panel. The Livestock Management Committee, a new panel created last week by Speaker Michael Madigan, voted 5-4 to send the proposal to the House floor. The tally was along party lines, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans voting no...

[ THANKS to everyone who spoke and/or submitted written testimony in support of this bill!
Especially Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra! Thanks also to the committee members who voted yes! ]
[ YES VOTES: Hannig, Brunsvold, Dart, Slone, Smith ] [ Phone Numbers ]
[ NO VOTES: Lawfer, Noland, Meyers, Winkel ] [ Phone Numbers ]

A Magical Spot: The splendor of the Apple River in northwest Illinois: Sunday, April 19, 1998. Page A1. By Andy Kravetz; photographs by David Zalaznik.

Touched by a River: Sunday, April 19, 1998. Page B1. JO DAVIESS COUNTY -- The plight of the Apple River has caused an uproar in the northwestern tip of the state in the two weeks since the river's listing on the American Rivers' Endangered list. Two large hog farms, a mere stone's throw from the Wisconsin state line, have made Jo Daviess County the next battleground in the mega-hog farm war... At issue is whether these firms, located near the headwaters of the Apple River, could potentially destroy a fragile ecosystem many have come to depend on for a myriad of reasons...

Farmer discouraged about livestock bills: April 29, 1998. Page B3. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- Despite high-profile, lengthy debate on how to improve regulation of large-scale livestock farms in Illinois, legislators may go home next month without accomplishing anything on the topic, a lawmaker said Tuesday. "We may end up this whole session with nothing," said Rep. Duane Noland, R-Blue Mound...The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn its spring sesseion on May 22...

Editorial: Politics poor excuse not to stiffen hog farm rules: May 2, 1998. Page A6. The latest excuse to avoid toughening the regulation of large livestock farms was offered last week in Springfield... ...but... You don't have to play politics with this issue, and some of those pushing for better legislation have manged to set politics aside... Lawmakers should not allow the false cry of dirty politics detour them from efforts to protect Illinois' small towns and countryside. When all is said and done, dirty politics are less of a threat then dirty streams.

Board smells lower land values near hog farm: May 6, 1998. Page A1. DeWitt County officials have lowred property values for more than 20 people whose homes are within two miles of a 7,400-sow farm and the odor it creates. "It smelled pretty bad when we were out there, we thought, and that was in the wintertime," said Richard Tuggle, a member of the county's Board of Review. "It would be worse in the summertime." The three-member Board of Review dropped property value assessments by 30 percent for neighbors who live within 1 1/2 miles of the hog operation. The board granted a 10 percent reduction to others whose homes are within two miles of the facility...

Editorial: Reduced valuations a blow to mega-farms: May 8, 1998. Page A4. The Illinois Farm Bureau will have a tougher time touting the economic advantages of large livestock farms now that DeWitt County assessors have determined homes near the facilities are worth less.... Meanwhile, the need for tougher state regulation gets more apparent every day.

Editorial: Call five central Illinois representatives before they betray their region

May 12, 1998. Page A4. You've heard of the Central Illinois Six, a group of local lawmakers who've come together to defend rural communities against the explosion of large livestock farms.
Now, let us introduce you to the Central Illinois Five. These five state representatives have turned their backs on the people they represent and in doing so may sidetrack sensible regulations on industrial-size animal farms.

Here is the roster [with their Springfield office numbers]:

Jay Ackerman	Morton	217-782-0221
Rich Myers	Colchester	217-782-0416
John Turner	Atlanta	217-782-0428
Dan Rutherford	Chenoa	217-782-7776
Bill Brady	Bloomington	217-782-1118

...Central Illinoisans have a day, maybe two, to convince these lawmakers that the proper vote is for tougher standards on large livestock farms. Here's how:
Call them at their Springfield offices. Urge them to vote for SB 1707 as amended.
If this legislation loses in the House, stricter regulations on industrial-sized farms will be dead for a year. And Illinois will be wide open to corporate interests that want to move large livestock factories next door.
Lobbyists representing Big Agriculture--and we don't mean small farmers here--are being heard in the offices of the Central Illinois Five. They need to hear from ordinary people. Today.

House approves livestock waste restrictions: May 14, 1998. Page A1. SPRINGFIELD -- Large-scale hog farms and other livestock facilities would face stricter state regulation under a measure that cleared the Illinois House Wednesday. That plan, developed by the bipartisan band of Peoria-area lawmakers known as the Central Illinois Six, likely will continue to be the subject of negotiations among lawmakers and interest groups on various sides of the issue. It remains to be seen whether any livestock bill will clear the House and Senate by the time lawmakers adjourn their spring session around May 22...

Regulating livestock farms deemed costly: May 15, 1998. Page A1. By Toby Eckert WASHINGTON, D.C. -- State officials in Illinois have misgivings about proposed federal anti-pollution regulations for large livestock farms, saying they would be costly to enforce and may create an unneeded layer of bureaucracy. The states would be expected to play a major role in implementing the regulations, requiring them to inspect thousands of livestock operations and identify areas most at risk for pollution from animal manure and other waste. Officials at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency say they don't have the resources to carry out those tasks...
[It should be noted that despite dozens of requests over several years, former Illinois Governor Edgar never met with citizens calling for stronger regulations, and current Illinois regulations are extremely weak compared with several other states. Therefore, it's not surprising that officials of the Edgar administration joined the livestock industry's opposition to stronger regulations.]

Editorial: Senate should follow House in passing tougher livestock farm rules: May 15, 1998. Page A4. Not only did the Illinois House vote Wednesday for tougher regulations, it did so by a surprisingly large margin. Seventy-two House members said yes, a dozen more than needed to pass. That gives us reason to ask the improbable: That the Senate do the same....If there is a disappointment in the House's action, it is the failure of five central Illinois legislators to vote for the legislation. Those five are Jay Ackerman of Morton, Rich Myers of Colchester, John Turner of Atlanta, Dan Rutherford of Chenoa and Bill Brady of Bloomington. Their position is a disservice to all of Illinois, but particularly to their districts.

Hog bill elusive as greased pig: May 18, 1998. by Kristen McQueary SPRINGFIELD - ...For several months, six lawmakers - Reps. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson; David Leitch, R-Peoria; Ricca Slone, D-Peoria Heights; Mike Smith, D-Canton; and Sens. Carl Hawkinson, R-Galesburg, and Shadid, D-Edwards - have worked closely on legislation intended to tighten regulations on mega-hog farms. The group is a bipartisan, bicameral crew - an unusual combination in Springfield, where Republicans and Democrats infrequently cross aisles, let alone chambers. But the legislators- original expectations for the law likely will not be met by Friday when the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn, lawmakers say. So far, the real grit of the proposed hog farm regulation bill has been softened or removed altogether. ...

Editorial: Blame Sieben if Senate doesn't consider new livestock farm rules

May 21, 1998. Page A6. If tougher regulations on huge livestock farms fail to pass the General Assembly this spring, blame Sen. Todd Sieben of Geneseo. Sieben, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, controls legislation crafted in the House that would put additional, reasonable restrictions on those farms. So far he has refused to call the bill for a vote.

He doesn't like provisions that would make it tougher to build mega-livestock farms on flood plains or over aquifers. Nor does he want to limit the amount of manure livestock farmers can spread on their fields, or rewrite the rules that allow industrial farms to circumvent state law by claiming they're individual facilities, or require that farm owners be responsiblle for cleaning up their messes.

In short, Sieben, the co-owner of a Geneseo seed corn company, has taken the role of chief Senate spokesman for the Illinois Farm Bureau and the rest of Big Agriculture...

Lawmakers are scheduled to leave Springfield for good on Friday, so there's little time left to influence Sieben. Positions may be too entrenched. Nonetheless, a phone call can't hurt and, who knows, it could do some good. Sen. Sieben's Springfield number is 217-782-0180.

If you get him on the phone, tell him how dangerous his head-in-the-manure-pit position is. Tell him that the people of...his district deserve at least a vote on the regulations. ...Tell him that no lawmaker who ignores his region can be secure in his seat for long.

Rules for livestock left alone: May 23, 1998. Page B3. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- Despite a months-long effort to come up with stricter state regulations on large-scale livestock operations, this spring, lawmakers are going home empty-handed. "All eyes will be on the veto session (in November)," said Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria. "This is not an issue that is going away." ... Environmental groups said this spring's setback won't cease their efforts to seek stricter rules. "We'll just have to keep the public informed about the water and air risks," said Edith Galloway, a rural Carthage resident and member of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. We'll work with the legislators who care," she said, adding that Sieben should have called the House-approved bill for a Senate vote....

Stream fouled; hog farm blamed: June 27, 1998. Page B3. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- Despite a months-long effort to come up with stricter state regulations on large-scale livestock operations, this spring, lawmakers are going home empty-handed. "All eyes will be on the veto session (in November)," said Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria. "This is not an issue that is going away." ... Environmental groups said this spring's setback won't cease their efforts to seek stricter rules. "We'll just have to keep the public informed about the water and air risks," said Edith Galloway, a rural Carthage resident and member of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. We'll work with the legislators who care," she said, adding that Sieben should have called the House-approved bill for a Senate vote....

Where the hogs are: Sunday, July 12, 1998. Page B1. By Adriana Colindres. With all the debate over so-called mega-hog farms setting up shop in Illinois, one might wonder: Where exactly are all these hogs heading? The answer is west-central Illinois--in particular Fulton and Pike counties.
[ 1992 Top Pig Counties in Illinois ]
[ I.S.A. REPORT WITH APRIL '98 MAP & LIST! ]

Illinois' hog population was bigger in the '60s: Sunday, July 12, 1998. Page B1. By Adriana Colindres. Don't get the idea that pigs are taking over the state, pork industry officials say. "There's a perception that hogs are flooding into the state of Illinois, and that's not true," said Chris Boyster, spokesman for the Illinois Pork Producers Association. Indeed, Illinois produced roughly 3 million fewer hogs in 1996 than it did in the 1960s, when production hit 7.7 million, said Richard Brauer, a Petersburg resident who is a fifth-generation hog farmer with land in Cass County. Brauer also is president-elect of the Pork Producers Association.

Farmers avoiding troublesome lagoons: Sunday, July 12, 1998. Page B2. By Frank Fuhrig. SPRINGFIELD -- Pat Grant says deep manure pits were the obvious choice over lagoons when he planned his family's new hog operation. The 2,000-head facility, built this spring near Owaneco, has excavations dug below both confinement buildings. ... Pits, however, increase overall construction costs on a new hog confinement operation by up to 30 percent, said Yuanhui Zhang, a professor of agricultural engineering at the University of Illinois. Zhang favors covered or contained external storage tanks,which are widespread in Europe...[and] are more reliable than lagoons without the occupational and herd health complications of manure pits.

Fulton board serves notice on mega-hog farms: July 15, 1998. Page B3. By Erin J. Shea. LEWISTOWN -- The Fulton County Board sent a message to prospective mega-farm owners Tuesday -- don't come to the county unless you take responsibility for your operation. By a 19-to-1 vote, the board approved a resolution that "disfavors" factory livestock farms building in the county unless their operators give sufficient proof the facilities won't cause harm to the area's environment or land....
[ Full-text of Fulton County Board Resolution ]

Lagoon spills all too common, inspections find: July 15, 1998. Page B3. By Nicole Ziegler. SPRINGFIELD -- Recent inspections at 10 west central Illinois livestock farms uncovered evidence of repeated animal waste spills -- a finding state officials say is far too common at farms with older waste storage lagoons. During the first three months of 1998, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency conducted 22 inspections at the farms. In 15 of the cases -- or 68 percent -- inspectors found waste in nearby streams despite state laws that prohibit such discharges, according to an internal agency memo.

Protect environment from unreliable corporate farmers: July 31, 1998. By Dale Galloway. ...The majority of independent family farmers are socially responsible. Rich Myers should support legislation that protects our land, air and water from promoters, developers, corporations and limited liability companies that are environmentally unconscious...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/19980731dg.htm

Mega-hog farms locate in states with least resistance: August 1, 1998. Page A4. By Rob Helle. Ever wonder why factory hog farms have begun popping up in Illinois like mushrooms in spring? It's no accident that over 100 of these projects are in the planning stage right now. Like the liquid sewage their hogs produce, corporate hog farmers seek the path of least resistance, and at the moment there isn't much legal resistance in our state. Let's toss out a few names and see if we can figure things out...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/19980801helle.htm

Ryan plans meeting on livestock farms: August 19, 1998. Page B3. By Adriana Colindres. SPRINGFIELD -- The tactic has been tried before and without much success. But Republican gubernatorial candidate George Ryan said Tuesday his plan to bring lawmakers and others together to discuss the largescale livestock issue is worth a shot... ...reactions to Ryan's plan were varied...

IEPA: Lagoon manure reached sewer, creek: October 6, 1998. Page B2. ELMWOOD--Environmental officials are investigating after manure from the lagoon at Inwood Dairy LLC overflowed into a storm sewer and polluted a tributary of Kickapoo Creek last week. Illinois Environmental Portection Agency officials were unable to tell how much lagoon manure was spilled, but they did not see signs of a fish kill, spokeswoman Joan Muraro said Monday. ... In February, the dairy received a violation notice from the IEPA for five instances of creek pollution last year during construction, from stormwater discharges and silage leachate.

Hog farm accused of polluting Deer Creek: October 10, 1998. Page B1. By Anita Szoke. PEKIN -- The Illinois Attorney General's Office is suing the operator of a Tazewell County hog farm for allegedly allowing hog waste to filter into Deer Creek, killing about 7,200 fish. The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Jim Ryn in Tazewell County on Tuesday [Oct. 6], alleges the Mike Yordy Swine Farm near Morton was responsible for pumping hog discharge into a lagoon that eventually ran into nearby Deer Creek, causing the fish kill...

Some candidates won't be on ballot: October 29, 1998. By ELAINE HOPKINS of the Journal Star. BLOOMINGTON -- DeAnna Belz scanned the street. "Do I have to provide a podium?" she asked. "I've never done this before." Belz had called a news conference on Tuesday outside the old McLean County Courthouse in Bloomington to announce her write-in candidacy for the 44th District's Illinois Senate seat. ... Belz is one of a handful of central Illinois candidates declaring their intent to run as write-ins...and has registered properly in the counties of the 44th District. Her opponent is a powerful five-term incumbent Republican, Sen. John Maitland...
Also see Oct. 24 Pantagraph

Editorial: Our View: October 29, 1998. Page A4. ...Incumbent State Rep. Rich Myers may not like it, but his race with Mike Beaty is a referendum on large livestock farm regulations. If Myers wins a third term, the likelihood of stronger sate rules diminishes. If Beaty takes the seat, there's a greater opportunity for tougher laws...

Mega-hog farm issue in limbo: November 18, 1998. SPRINGFIELD - Chances are few that the Illinois General Assembly will be able to agree this year on a plan to tighten rules on large-scale livestock facilities, said lawmakers who have been wrestling with the issue. "I think it would be a shame to let another session go by, even a short veto session, without doing something on this issue," said Rep. Mike Smith, D-Canton. But Smith and Sen. Todd Sieben, R-Geneseo, two key lawmakers on the large-scale livestock issue, agreed Tuesday that is exactly what is likely to occur... Earlier Tuesday, about 50 people gathered on the steps of the Illinois State Capitol for a rally aimed at drawing attention to the need for stronger regulation of large-scale livestock farms. They also lobbied senators in an attempt to get Sieben to call the Central Illinois Six bill for a vote.

Livestock talks may resume: November 20, 1998. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Senate on Thursday rejected legislation intended to impose tougher rules on large-scale livestock operations, such as hog farms. Also on Thursday, lawmakers, agricultural groups and environmental interests indicated a willingness to try negotiating again. Their goal is to reach an agreement that the Legislature could vote on during the second half of the fall session, scheduled for Dec. 1-3....

Editorial: Rather wait than pass weak livestock standards: December 1, 1998. The failure of the Illinois Senate to adopt tougher rules on factory-sized livestock farms may not be the General Assembly's last word on the issue this year. Nor should it be... Our preference is for the toughest legitimate regulations that have a chance of success. At this time, that would be the six elements such as barring construction of huge farms from flood plains, giving the state Pollution Control Board authority to set construction standards, setting limits for spreading waste on farm fields in the Central Illinois Six bill... Whatever happens this fall, the departure of this General Assembly will not end the push for stricter standards on the corporate livestock industry. Come January there'll be a new Legislature and a new governor, one who's promised to support strengthening the current law. We'd rather wait until then for the right kind of regulations than settle for something that won't accomplish much.
http://www.pjstar.com/frontpage/editorials/pjs0658a.html

Livestock regulations not likely this session: December 2, 1998. SPRINGFIELD -- Lawmakers won't be voting on tougher rules for large-scale livestock operations, such as hog farms, during the remaining two days of the Illinois Legislature's fall session. But lawmakers and other interested parties, including representatives of agricultural and environmental organizations, did make some headway on the contentious issue during four hours of talks on Tuesday morning and afternoon. The group, which next meets at 1 p.m. Dec. 16 in Bloomington, now hopes to craft legislation that could come before the General Assembly in January...

Activists protest mega-hog farms: December 4, 1998. By ELAINE HOPKINS. PEORIA -- While a coalition of activists held a news conference Thursday to alert the public to water and air pollution problems from mega-hog operations, two more of the facilities are planned for Tazewell County near Emden. ...Waste pits like these planned for Tazewell County are not regulated in Illinois, notes a report publicly released on Thursday, "America's Animal Factories: How States Fail to Prevent Pollution from Livestock Waste." The report, issued by the Clean Water Network and the Natural Resources Defense Council, relies on the Illinois Stewardship Alliance for its information on Illinois. The state's failure to regulate underground concrete waste pits is the "biggest single loophole in the regulatory system," it states. There are no construction standards for the pits, and in 1997, at least 12 had mechanical failures causing pollution discharges, it says. Some resulted in water quality degradation. The report also faults Illinois law for prohibiting local control over large livestock facilities.

Man cited for leaving dead pigs in farm creek: December 9, 1998. LAURA -- A Milbrook Township hog farmer has been cited by the Illinois Department of Agriculture for improper disposal of dead animals. About 20 dead hogs were found Monday in a creek on the farm of William F. DuBois, said agency spokesman Pat Hogan..."we will be working with the State's Attorney in Peoria County to bring possible (criminal charges)," Hogan said... Some appeared to have been in the creek...since last summer... Dubois could be fined up to $500 for each day of the occurence... Joan Muraro of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said environmental violations probably will not be filed against DuBois..."Once it's fallen into the category (of agriculture) we are not likely to do anything," she said. "It's one of those overlapping jurisdictional things."...

Woodford farmer sued over swine waste: December 11, 1998. Page B2. By Elaine Hopkins. EUREKA -- A hog farmer who allowed hog waste to flow into a tributary of Panther Creek was sued Thursday in Woodford County Circuit Court by the Illinois Attorney General's Office. Roger Blunier, who operates Pork Chop Ridge near Secor, could be fined $50,000 for each violation, said Abdul-Hakim Shabazz of the attorney general's office. Blunier has about 1,000 hogs at the site, he said. According to the lawsuit, more than a dozen years ago in 1986, Blunier agreed to abide by an Illinois Pollution Control Board settlement...[but despite this agreement] "...violations have been committed knowingly and repeatedly and will continue unabated unless and until enjoined by this court," the complaint states...

Hog facility still a farm, court rules: January 1, 1999. By KARI SIEGLE. GALESBURG -- Regardless of whether a hog-confinement facility has three or 3,000 hogs, it is considered agricultural in nature, the 2nd District Appellate Court in Elgin has ruled. Under the Supreme Court's definition of "agriculture," rearing and raising any quantity of hogs constitutes an agricultural purpose, the justices decided in a split 2-1 decision that was filed Wednesday. And because such facilities are considered agricultural, counties cannot regulate them or require permits for the land... Justice Robert McLaren wrote the dissenting opinion and said the majority's opinion is "patently incorrect." "The majority is sallying into dangerous territory and ruling beyond its apparent expertise when it states unequivocally that quantity does not matter," McLaren wrote. "I am unable to conclude as a matter of law that the Highlands' operation is a hog farm rather than a hog factory."... Knox County has 30 days to file an appeal. Knox County Board members will need to review the ruling at the Jan. 20 board meeting, or hold a special meeting earlier...

Knox appeals hog farm zoning ban: January 22, 1999. Page B5. By KARI SIEGLE. GALESBURG -- Knox County will appeal a recent appellate court decision that said counties cannot regulate large-scale hog-confinement facilities because they are agricultural in nature. Knox County Board members voted 14-8 with one abstention during their Wednesday night meeting to appeal the 2nd District Appellate Court ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court... Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri said the Illinois Supreme Court should decide whether to hear the appeal by summer or fall. Because the appellate court's ruling was split and the dissenting justice wrote a strongly worded argument, the case stands a good chance of being heard by the higher court, Mangieri said...
Also see: Jan. 1, 1999 PJS; Jan. 9 Zephyr; Full-text of ruling: http://www.state.il.us/court/appellates/1998/4970912.htm; Apr. 1 Court will hear appeal; Aug. 26 Hearing set for Sept. 28.

Editorial: Ryan leadership to be tested on bill regulating mega-farms: March 12, 1999. The first test of Gov. George Ryan's influence over lawmakers, particularly those in his Republican Party, will come as he tries to mediate the drafting of tougher regulations on large livestock farms. ...If the goal is legislation which is effective as well as passable, Ryan will have to do something he has not yet done on this issue: Outline his own coterie of beliefs and stand by those which are most important. It has been our view that the Central Illinois Six's bill strikes a reasonable balance...the most important of which is the right of all Illinoisans to clean water and air.

Negotiators reach mega-hog legislation agreement
Ryan praises 'true breakthrough'; Senate echoes by voting 57-0: March 26, 1999. ...The Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a grass-roots group representing rural farmers, opposes the legislation...
ALSO SEE...
04/03/1999: Letter to Editor: Glaring flaws of livestock "agreement"
03/26/1999: Illinois livestock "agreement..." "...doesn't really do anything..."

Op-ed: Agriculture on a one-way road
Farmers losing independence to technology, corporate concerns: May 30, 1999. By Gary Rolfe. Numerous studies demonstrate that farmers value their kinship with the land, their independence, and their land ethic. But much of what is happening in the world of agriculture today is taking farmers down a one-way road in the opposite direction...

Dairy farm source of problems
Recent manure spill, disruptive scents upset neighbors: July 22, 1999. Page B6. Elmwood -- A manure spill estimated at 2,000 gallons last month flowed from the Inwood Dairy waste lagoon into a ditch and may have reached a tributary of Walnut Creek. The 1,200-head dairy confinement operation, three miles south of Elmwood, is said to be the largest dairy of its type in Illinois...The dairy has also drawn recent complaints to the IEPA about odors...Karen Hudson of FARM, an Elmwood-based group, said noxious odors from the dairy have reached Elmwood many times recently. People have begun keeping logs of odors that interfere with their lives and property use, she said. A recent comunity meeting on odors drew three dozen people, she said...

Op-ed: Too much waste, too little land, too dangerous: August 8, 1999. By DeAnna Belz. ...It has been shown through recent studies and experiences that factory farms are a risk to the public's health and our environment. The EPA and Illinois have the power and the obligation to protect our health and environment and must do so. Requiring factory farms to get individual permits with common-sense standards for their manure and disposal practices is one step toward fulfilling this obligation. And giving Illinois' own Environmental Protection Agency authority to enforce these standards will help see that the obligation is met...
http://www.pjstar.com/frontpage/opedcolumns/pjs8513a.html

Dairy farm cited by EPA
Peoria County operation faces fines for alleged odor and pollution violations: August 31, 1999. Page A-1. SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has cited Inwood Dairy LLC in Peoria County for allegedly violating environmental regulations by allowing odor pollution and water contamination. The dairy operation, which could be fined for the violations, is the largest in the state. Located...south of Elmwood, it has about 1,250 head of cattle...The IEPA alleges that Inwood: ...Allowed too much waste to be stored in its livestock waste lagoon, which created the possibility that manure could overflow during heavy rains. ...Inadequately diverted storm water from the lagoons to prevent manure overflows. ...Managed livestock waste in a way that permitted odor pollution to occur. ...Failed to use adequate odor control methods and technology. ...Contaminated water by improperly discharging wastewater from silage (a type of feed) that was deposited on the ground. The agency found the violations during inspections of the facility on May 13 and Aug. 3...
http://www.pjstar.com/frontpage/topnews/pjs8836a.html

County to court: Mega-hog farms are industrial, not agricultural
Zoning dispute centers on Williamsfield operation: September 29, 1999. SPRINGFIELD - Large hog-raising operations, such as The Highlands in Knox County, are industrial enterprises - not agricultural - and counties should be allowed to regulate them, the Illinois Supreme Court was told Tuesday. Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri told the justices that a circuit court and appellate court reached the wrong conclusion when they said hog-raising is agricultural, no matter how many hogs are involved... But Charles Gering, an attorney for The Highlands, said the facility "clearly is a core agricultural use." "Knox County simply does not have jurisdiction to interfere with an agricultural project," said Gering, who asked the Supreme Court to affirm a December 1998 appellate court ruling against Knox County. The Supreme Court's eventual ruling in the Knox County case could have repercussions throughout Illinois agriculture. It isn't known when the court will issue a decision...
http://www.pjstar.com/frontpage/topnews/pjs0674a.html
Also see: August 27, 1999 Editorial: Landmark Case [Mega-operations need industrial regulation] http://www.farmweb.org/biblio_il.htm#19990827_rm
Full-text of Dec. 30, 1998 Illinois Appelate Court ruling [that Knox County lost]: http://www.state.il.us/court/appellates/1998/4970912.htm

Letter to Editor: Shift IEPA focus from enforcement to prevention: September 25, 1999. [The IEPA's ] job could be made much easier, however, if their focus shifted from enforcement actions after pollution events occur, to developing strong regulations and controls to prevent pollution... http://www.farmweb.org/b/19990925_pjs.htm

Editorial: Keep lobbying for local control of factory farms: December 9, 1999. The Illinois Supreme Court's refusal to find mega-livestock operations to be industrial facilities sends the debate about their regulation back to the General Assembly...Given the factory-type water, soil and noise pollution large livestock farms can produce, counties should have the same zoning and siting authority they have when choosing where factories or apartment complexes will go...
Also see:
Dec. 2, 1999: Illinois Supreme Court rules CAFOs are agriculture operations
http://www.farmweb.org/b/19991202_il_sup_court.htm

Family farm advocate says it's time to fight
Agribusiness consolidation spells disaster for the family farm, activist says: January 11, 2000. Page C-1. Karen Hudson thinks it's time for farmers to stand up and say they're not going to take it anymore. The grassroots activist from Elmwood, who has spent the last three years fighting megahog farms in Illinois, spoke in Houston on Monday in support of the family farm. Houston, not by coincidence, is also the site for the annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau, an organization that Hudson criticizes for not doing enough for the family farmer. ... "We need to reform the bureau. They say it's a grass-roots-run organization, but the grassroots concern issues are not rising to the top," said Hudson. One of the problems, Hudson said, may be that the Farm Bureau also has gone corporate. She cited a report from the Prairie Rivers Network that noted the Illinois Farm Bureau holdings include ownership in at least 18 separate corporations that sell, market and produce everything from chemicals to insurance. Normally "a quiet bunch," farmers are starting to make some noise about the state of the ag economy, Hudson said...
Also see: "Dirty Water, Dirty Business" report on Illinois Farm Bureau
http://www.farmweb.org/b/199909_prn_dwdb.htm

Farmers fed up with ag economy [and Farm Bureau]
Ouster of Farm Bureau president a sign of frustration: January 18, 2000. PEORIA - The outrage farmers are feeling about being left out of the nation's economic boom showed at last week's annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation in Houston. Delegates ousted the group's president of 14 years, Iowan Dean Kleckner, 67. They elected Bob Stallman, 47, former head of the Texas Farm Bureau. The move may indicate even mainstream farmers are fed up with the pace of corporate takeovers in agriculture, delegates said. ... At issue is the concentration in agriculture: Fewer companies control the market, making it harder for competition to work in the marketplace...
http://www.pjstar.com/frontpage/businesstop/19971202_pjs513a.html

Capitol Beat
[Illinois' sorry livestock legislation]: February 13, 2000. Illinois' great "pig debate" has quieted down since revisions were made last year to the Livestock Management Facilities Act [...no it hasn't], but a different four-legged farm animal - the cow - now is in the spotlight. That's because of a proposal to build what would be the state's biggest dairy farm in Christian County...The LMFA is intended to regulate large-scale hog farms and other types of livestock operations, but critics of the new law say it isn't tough enough... Lawmakers have said they don't plan to reopen debate on the livestock issue during the current legislative session. They say the revised act needs to be left alone awhile, so everyone can judge how well it works...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/20000213_pjs_capitol.htm

Mega-hog farm meetings automatic
Unanimous vote may make Peoria first to have policy: March 15, 2000. Peoria County could be the first one statewide to automatically hold informational meetings. County Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to always hold such hearings rather than request them of the state on a case-by-case basis...
Peoria County Board meeting minutes http://www.co.peoria.il.us/coclerk/minutes.htm

Letter to Editor: Farm Bureau no longer represents small farmers: March 25, 2000. The Farm Bureau describes itself as a grassroots organization, but a closer examination of it's membership belies this...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/20000325_helle.htm

Plans for 3,600-head dairy scrapped

April 22, 2000. Stonington (AP) -- A California man says local opposition is too stiff for him to follow through with plans to build a 3,600 head dairy farm in Christian County. Richard DeVuyst had planned to build the dairy near Stonington, but he said the public opposition to his plan has not abated and he has decided not to proceed. Illinois Agriculture department spokesman John Hearth said De Vuyst called Thursday to withdraw the dairy farm application...

Background info:

December 2, 1999 - Livestock meeting draws hundreds
http://www.farmweb.org/biblio_il.htm#19991202_sjr

December 10, 1999 - Angry dairy foes crowd meeting
http://www.farmweb.org/biblio_il.htm#19991210_sjr

December 23, 1999 - Christian County votes NO to dairy
http://www.farmweb.org/biblio_il.htm#19991223_sjr

Concern for the consumer
[Tyson-IBP merger will harm agriculture and public]: January 9, 2001. "I think concentration in agriculture has gone too far. It's not good for agriculture - or the consumer - to have two huge producers become one," said [Rep. Ray] LaHood [R - Peoria]. If the merger is approved, Tyson would control one-third of the domestic chicken market, one-third of the beef market and almost 20 percent of the pork market, said a release from LaHood's office...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/business/cop902a.html

Attorney General files suit over lagoon
Environmental officials have cited dairy for pollution

February 17, 2001. ELMWOOD - The 40-million-gallon waste lagoon at Inwood Dairy, southwest of Elmwood, is in danger of failing, the Illinois Attorney General's Office charged in a lawsuit Friday. Attorney General Jim Ryan seeks an immediate injunction to stop pollution from the lagoon. "The operation could result in a catastrophic release of manure and wastewater," Ryan's office said in a news release. A hearing in Peoria County Circuit Court is set for Wednesday...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/g24258a.html

02/16/2001: Press release by IL Attny Gen Ryan:
http://www.ag.state.il.us/pressrelease/021601.htm

02/23/2001: Aerial photos of waste dumped from Elmwood dairy lagoon

Dairy farm ordered to clean up
Inwood Dairy must cut herd size, clear ravine of 2 million gallons of waste: February 22, 2001. PEORIA - A dairy farm near Elmwood must cut the size of its herd nearly in half and has until Saturday to clear a ravine of about 2 million gallons of cattle waste. Inwood Dairy agreed to those conditions and others Wednesday as part of an injunction proposed by the Illinois Attorney General's Office. The dairy, in an attempt last weekend to stop its 40-million- gallon waste lagoon from overflowing, pumped up to 2 million gallons of cattle waste into a ravine that drains into the west fork of Kickapoo Creek...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop845a.html

Editorial: State should send corporate farmers a tough message: February 23, 2001. ...Corporate farmers have argued they are farmers, not industrial barons, and should not be subject to the same regulations. This is an example of how wrong they are. What this farm did near Elmwood is what industrial giants used to do to America's rivers and streams before laws prohibited it. We cannot permit our waterways to be poisoned just because animals are the source...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/editorials/f998189a.html

Dairy cleaning up slowly
Challenges arise as Inwood workers try to clean waste-filled ravine by 8 tonight: February 24, 2001. ELMWOOD - Inwood Dairy has "got some challenges" in its efforts to clean up a waste-filled ravine, a state Attorney General's Office representative said Friday. By court order, the Elmwood confinement dairy, one of the largest in Illinois, has until 8 tonight to clear the ravine of up to 2 million gallons of cattle waste. Work was taking place on Friday with oversight by an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency inspector, said Attorney General's Office attorney Jane McBride, who handles livestock issues for the attorney general...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop3334a.html

Rains pose challenge to farm cleanup
Inwood Dairy faced Saturday deadline: February 25, 2001. ELMWOOD - Saturday's cleansing rain offered no such relief to the neighbors of a polluted rural Elmwood dairy farm, who feared that a day long downpour would unleash a flood of waste onto their nearby land...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop5691a.html

Rainfall hinders cleanup
Contaminated lagoon rises to within 4 inches of rim: February 27, 2001. ELMWOOD - As the cleanup at Inwood Dairy continued Monday, waste in the lagoon crept closer to the top... After Saturday's heavy rainfall, the facility's 8.3-acre lagoon has risen to within 4 inches of the rim, Tom Davis of the Illinois Attorney General's Office said Monday. ...The dairy had agreed to stop the lagoon from overflowing when it was 6 inches from its rim. Up to 2 million gallons of waste then was pumped into a ravine, whose small dams failed to hold it...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop147a.html

Inwood Dairy knee deep in debt, too
Lenders file lawsuit to repossess cattle at messy farm: March 3, 2001. The environmental mess at Inwood Dairy near Elmwood has not improved, and the dairy now faces a financial crisis as well. Its lenders on Friday filed a lawsuit to repossess the cattle in order to recover a $2.8 million debt from the dairy and its financial backers...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop168a.html

Dairy cows headed to Midwest
Interest in California is drying up during energy, water shortages: March 6, 2001. Dairy operations that fled the Midwest for greener pastures out west may soon return, said the editor of a dairy industry newsletter. The scarcity and high cost of both energy and water in western states could signal the beginning of a mass migration back to the Midwest for the dairy industry...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/business/cop4a.html

Dairy mess almost cleaned
Consultant aiming for full compliance by Monday: March 9, 2001. Nearly half the animal waste that created an environmental mess at Inwood Dairy has been removed, the dairy's consultant said Thursday. Gregg Hardy, a Michigan-based consultant brought in by the dairy's investors, said he hoped to have the remaining 4 million to 5 million gallons of waste removed from the facility by Monday...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop9a.html

Protesters: Dairy mess is a waste
State Ag Department is accused of not holding facility to construction rules: March 10, 2001. Just one day after Inwood Dairy announced it is halfway to complying with orders to clean up millions of gallons of animal waste on the property, local protesters say the whole mess still stinks. A coalition of farm and environmental organizers hosted a news conference Friday at the Peoria Public Library to say the massive cleanup project at the Elmwood farm, the state's largest dairy, could have been prevented... "The Illinois Department of Agriculture should have done a better job all along in holding Inwood Dairy to construction and waste regulations"...

State sues Atkinson site
Company accused of letting livestock waste leak into nearby creek: March 13, 2001. The state of Illinois on Monday filed a lawsuit against [Atkinson Livestock Market,] a Henry County livestock facility for allegedly allowing cattle waste to pollute nearby bodies of water... The five-count complaint accuses Zeien of permitting waste to be discharged from three sites at the 700-head feeder cattle operation. According to the suit, a Feb. 8 inspection by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency found waste was entering strip mine lakes and a road ditch, all of which led directly or eventually to the Green River. The Green River is a tributary of the Rock River...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop007a.html

State, Inwood Dairy hash out agreement
Elmwood-area farm won't have to cut back its herd, but must deal with waste

March 14, 2001. Inwood Dairy won't have to move more cattle from its Elmwood facility, but it must drastically change how it deals with waste, an agreement reached Tuesday states... So far, the dairy has removed 6.4 million gallons of waste out of the ravine. All told, the dairy has disposed of more than 8.5 million gallons of liquid waste and 2,450 tons of solid waste, court records indicate. About 100,000 gallons of waste remain in the ravine, and that must be removed by 5 p.m. Thursday, the order states...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/cop123a.html

Also see:

02/12/1998: Proposed mega-farm cited for violations
10/06/1998: IEPA: Lagoon manure reached sewer, creek
07/22/1999: Dairy farm source of problems
08/31/1999: Dairy farm cited by EPA
02/17/2001: Attorney General files suit over lagoon at biggest dairy in state
02/23/2001: Aerial photos of waste dumped from Elmwood dairy lagoon

Metamorans declare hog farm 'public health threat': September 28, 2001. METAMORA -- After hearing of plans for a large-scale hog finishing facility to be built near their home, Amy and Harold Dafoe fear they may have to set a bowl of clothespins at the door for visitors. ... Now, the Dafoes, who moved to rural Metamora this spring, fear noxious gases from the pigs, increased traffic and decreased property value will ruin their dream. About 50 rural Metamora resident opposed to the expansion of Roanoke-based Lone Willow Farm gathered at an informational meeting Thursday. The expanded facillity would raise at least 10,000 hogs annually and be located three miles southeast of Cazenovia...

Editorial: State hearings unfair to farm neighbors: October 20, 2001. ...[Citizens beleive Dept. of Ag public meetings about livestock factories are] orchestrated to wear down the dissenters. [At a recent Woodford County meeting, for] the first two hours, the only speakers were the Agriculture Department officials and Bruce Leman, who wants to operate the farm. Ag officials went on at length about state regulations, and then Leman detailed his plans. Questions took up the next hour, with no statements permitted. It was after 8 p.m. when objectors and supporters were allowed to speak up. Because of the hour, they were limited to three minutes--not much time to talk when you fear your home and health are at risk. It got so late that many of the 200 people in attendance gave up and left. ...The AG Department can do better. ...The idea isn't just to go through a process that state law mandates, but to make that process work for the people of Illinois. It's not working now, and people have a right to wonder if the Department of Agriculture really wants it to.

Neighbors vow to fight hogs till end
Group will take request for second public hearing to Woodford County: January 8, 2002. METAMORA - Armed with the required 75 signatures, the group opposing a large-scale hog-finishing facility near Metamora will request that the Woodford County Board schedule a second public hearing at Tuesday's board meeting. Bruce, Chris and Randy Leman refiled their notice to build the hog finishing facility near Cazenovia with the Illinois Department of Agriculture in late December. The refiling came after the state requested more information on the proposed facility before approving construction...

Woodford board told to "do the right thing"
Woman says trustees should allow county residents greater say: January 9, 2002. EUREKA - A Woodford County Board candidate chided the board Tuesday night for not listening to constituents and encouraged board members to "do the right thing" in the future. The right thing Caroline Schertz spoke of is "allowing all citizens of the county a greater say in county government," she said after the meeting. Schertz is a member of the group Citizens for the Preservation of Rural Life, which has been opposing a large-scale hog finishing facility near Metamora.... Also Tuesday, the board passed a motion to contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture to schedule a second public hearing on Bruce, Chris and Randy Leman's hog facility. ... The state requested more information on the proposed facility before approving construction. But instead, the Lemans refiled their notice to build, starting the entire process from scratch...

Dairy fined $50,000 for waste overflow
Agreement will require Inwood to install new facilities, remove sludge

May 2, 2002. ELMWOOD - The troubled Inwood Dairy will pay a $50,000 fine under an agreement between the dairy and the Illinois Attorney General, who sued it when a seven-acre lagoon containing an estimated 40 million gallons of livestock waste nearly overflowed last year. The agreement requires the dairy to install new treatment facilities that will eliminate complaints about the smell of the dairy and to keep wastewater at least two feet below the top of the wastewater lagoon...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/local/g94638a.html

Also see:

02/23/2001: Aerial photos of waste dumped from Elmwood dairy lagoon

List of previous violations: http://www.farmweb.org/biblio_il.htm#inwood_list

State of Illinois Attorney General press release
ATTORNEY GENERAL RYAN'S COURT ACTION RESULTS IN CIVIL PENALTY, ENSURES THAT DAIRY IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES: May 2, 2002. SPRINGFIELD - Inwood Dairy will pay a $50,000 civil penalty and continue implementing improvements as its facility near Elmwood at the western edge of Peoria County, Attorney General Jim Ryan announced today. A consent order filed in circuit court addresses environmental concerns raised by Ryan and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) after a seven-acre lagoon estimated to contain 40 million gallons of livestock waste nearly overflowed in February 2001. At the time, more than 1,200 head of cattle were on site and milked in three shifts daily...
http://www.ag.state.il.us/pressrelease/050102_b.htm

Editorial: Don't grant legal immunity to large livestock farms: April 23, 2004. Were it up to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, neighbors of certain of the state's large livestock farms wouldn't be allowed to sue the owners for spoiling the air or water. Nor would they be able to complain at a public meeting about a factory farm proposed for their neighborhood... Prohibiting lawsuits would discourage owners of large-livestock farms from maintaining the systems and the practices necessary to control odors and spills...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/editorials/b2ofhhqt059.html
[A hearing is scheduled for Senate Resolution 499 (SR0499), 9 AM, April 28, 2004]
[A-1 Stratton Building, Springfield, IL]
[Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee]
[ http://www.legis.state.il.us/senate/committees/hearing.asp?CommitteeID=52]
[ http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=499&GAID=3&DocTypeID=SR&LegId=13044&SessionID=3]

State legislative livestock task force not representative: May 12, 2004 By Karen Hudson. State Senate Resolution 0499 proposes to create yet another industry-driven "livestock task force." ... Blatantly disregarded are sustainable agriculture coalitions, consumers, citizens and public health stakeholders...
http://www.farmweb.org/b/20040512_LTE_Hudson.htm

The Zephyr, Galesburg,Illinois
http://www.thezephyr.com/

Hog Factories Already Here: July 5, 1997. While the County Board is in court disputing a building permit and local activists are fighting the construction of a mega-hog farm by County Board Chair Jim Baird, other hog farmers are going about their business virtually unnoticed in Knox County.
Meet Doug Lenhart, Murphy Family Farm's man in Illinois...: July 24, 1997. As construction proceeds on the Baird/Highlands LLC mega-hog operation near Williamsfield, one significant player has maintained an extremely low profile throughout the controversy. While Jim and Doug Baird have contracted with the nation's leading pork producer, Murphy Family Farms,that company's local representative has lived and worked in this area virtually unnoticed.
Baird Farm Ready to Sprout Pigs: December 4, 1997. ...The Highlands is designed to be the axis in a hub and spoke arrangement. Surrounding the Baird farm will be five nurseries and nine finishing units. Ideally, all of these should be located within a 60-mile radius of the Highlands...
The Loyal Opposition: December 18, 1997. By Mike Kroll. One of the thousands who toured the Baird's mega-hog farm Saturday was Karen Hudson, the principal spokesperson for Families Against Rural Messes (FARM). ...FARM's own literature says that they advocate "a fair balance between individual and community, agriculture and economic development, and industrial and ecological interests in rural Illinois." ... They've been at the forefront of two battles against the mega-pork industry. Beginning with an attempt to block construction of this specific operation and continuing the fight by working for the passage of legislation imposing new and much tougher environmental regulations....
Up Close and Personal at the Baird's: December 18, 1997. By Mike Kroll. Supporters, opponents and the just plain curious gathered in the Knox County countryside to see the now infamous mega-hog farm being constructed by Jim and Doug Baird and their partner Murphy Family Farms. The much-publicized Open House Saturday turned out to be quite a tourist attraction. Thousands of people turned up to view this facility before its first animal occupants arrived...
Politicians Allow Pigs To Run Wild:: December 18, 1997. By Greg Alcoe. ...The mega-hog companies are not the monsters that some portray them to be, nor are they the farmers that they like to portray themselves as. I think they should be considered industrial meat producers. They should be carefully regulated just like other industrial producers of goods. The regulations need to put the safety of the public and the environment first, without placing too much of a financial burden on the mega-hog industry...concern should be centered on the track record of politicians...Next week portions of the original LFMA [Livestock Facilities Management Act] and the current act will be printed side by side, graphically illustrating how the politicians have let it become a much weaker body of regulations.
Politicians Allow Pigs To Run Wild:: December 25, 1997. By Greg Alcoe. ...The current LFMA [Livestock Facilities Management Act] is an accident waiting to happen. With the chances for environmental damage high, future new, stricter rules would probably hurt the industry while water pollution and associated high clean-up costs would have to be dealt with. In other words, everybody would lose...the following clause [was] added to the new "tougher" rules: "Penalties shall not be imposed for excessive nitrogen application for unplanned cropping changes due to weather or other unforeseeable circumstances." ...the LFMA allow[s] hog waste to be spread on frozen ground... The new "tougher" LFMA has an entire new section titled, "Alternatives, Modifications and Waivers" describing the steps necessary for an operator [to] be able to deviate from the rules of the LFMA... The only substance required to be monitored when the waste is applied to a field is nitrogen... The penalties...look like pocket change. Why couldn't the Illinois politicians have used the best of the rules that have been adopted by other states?...
Two articles: Mega-hog Update & Plummeting Pork Prices?: December 11, 1998. By Mike Kroll. Jim and Doug Baird of rural Williamsfield, owners of the Baird Seed Company and long-time Knox County farmers, made a fateful decision to team up with Murphy Family Farms of North Carolina more than two years ago. The father and son team created the Highlands, L.L.C. on December 6, 1996 and soon became the hub of Murphy Family Farm's newly- established Illinois division... /// ...[Jim] Hankes and his wife Kae own and operate Thrushwood Farms in Galesburg. The Hankes family bridges the spectrum of pork production, processing and retail sales... It is a true irony that Hankes points to the threat of additional environmental regulation as being a major instigator for the rapid growth in mega-hog operations. "These farmers and the large companies alike are extremely fearful of the potential for over regulation and are therefore trying to build capacity ahead of the regulation. They hope to later be grandfathered into the system, but in the meantime they are growing production capacity at a time of reduced demand." ... Another key point made by Hankes is that the cash market price is a misleading indicator of the actual hog market. Today the largest volume of meat is sold under contract from producer to processor, processor to wholesaler, wholesaler to retailer. These contracts provide safety nets for producer, packer and retailer alike. The contract pricing at times of low demand is much higher than the cash market pricing just as at times of peak demand it will be lower than the cash price...
Does size matter? The mega-hog legal odyssey continues: January 9, 1999. By Mike Kroll. ...One of the earliest battlefronts was a struggle over Knox County's legal ability to control the location of...mega-hog farms through zoning. On December 30, 1998...[an] Illinois Appellate Court affirmed the earlier decision of Circuit Court Judge Larry Heiser that state statute prohibits county government from enforcing zoning regulations upon agricultural land uses...

The Register-Mail, Galesburg, Illinois - http://www.register-mail.com
(309) 343-3181, Toll free in Illinois (800) 747-7181

Two-part series by Kristi O'Brien: July 6, 1997. Hog farm plans cause a big stink.

Editorial: Seeing with blind eye?: July 30, 1997. Recent events have called into question the seriousness of an effort by a state task force to take a look at the Livestock Facilities Management Act... We hope the task force is not just a public relations effort, because some legislators say that if this panel fails to recommend changes the act will remain as is...

State agencies disagree on hog inspection findings: August 4, 1997, Page A1. White Hall (AP) -- Reports filed by two state agencies on conditions at a major central Illinois hog farm have led some to question the enforcement of a law designed to regulate livestock management. ... Illinois is the only major pork-producing state that grants some livestock regulation powers to its agriculture department.The other top hog-raising state place that responsibility solely on environmental quality and regulation agencies.

A series of three guest commentaries by Bruce St John: Sept. 16, 1997. Illinois needs tougher hog factory rules

Wayne County bans mega-hog farms: September 17, 1997, Page A1. SPRINGFIELD -- A south-eastern Illinois county has imposed a 60-day timeout on the construction of large-scale hog farms and other livestock facilities there. By Adriana Colindres, Copley News Service.

Editorial: Better rules needed: September 18, 1997. ...We say it again -- we're not opposed to the mega-hog farms, per se, but we believe better regulations to protect the environment from their impact are needed...Factories have to comply with regulations, and these are hog factories... By John R. Pulliam, City Editor.

State waters not protected [by Farm Bureau]

Letter to Editor, 9/27/97 Galesburg Register-Mail

Little damage, big concerns in wake of spill: October 19, 1997. Page A-10. Elvaston, IL (AP) Pond becomes makeshift sewer after 800,000 gallons of waste dumped in it. ...Officials found no sign of dead fish, perhaps because previous spills had already killed them.

Spill likely to endanger wildlife,possibly humans: October 19, 1997. Page A-10. (AP) ...The exploding bacteria population consumes all the oxygen in the water, leaving none for the fish, mussels and crayfish already living there. If the lack of oxygen isn't enough, the wildlife also must deal with the poisonous ammonia in the waste.

Keep an eye on legislators[Letter to Editor]: October 25, 1997. Page A-4. ...Siting restrictions, increased setbacks, local control, and agronomically-correct manure application are all possible amendments which will be added to previous ag bills. ...Let your legislators know you are watching their vote!

Reps offer livestock changes (Stronger IEPA control proposed): October 27, 1997. Page A-1.SPRINGFIELD (AP) -- A group of central Illinois lawmakers...want to strengthen the role of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which would conduct yearly inspections of manure lagoons... The legislators also are calling for mandatory reporting of manure spills.

It's time to 'fine tune' state livestock law: October 27, 1997. Page A-5. Guest commentary by Ron Warfield, president of the Illinois Farm Bureau. ...It's time for cooler heads to prevail on the issue of so-called "mega farms." ...critics say Illinois livestock laws and regulations are too weak and ineffective to protect the public and the environment. But most livestock producers strongly disagree...

Panel kills tougher livestock rules: October 29, 1997. Page A-1 headline. By Adriana Colindres, Copley News Service, SPRINGFIELD -- An Illinois Senate panel rejected a plan Tuesday to enact tougher rules on megahog farms and other large-scale livestock facilities.

59 new hog farms proposed: October 29, 1997. Page A-1. By Copley News Service, SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Agriculture has received more than 50 notices in the last five months of plans for new or expanded large-scale hog farms around the state. [Here's a map and a list of livestock factory expansion in Illinois.]

House panel nixes livestock bill: October 30, 1997. Page A-1. By Adriana Colindres, Copley News Service, SPRINGFIELD -- Efforts to strengthen state regulations on large-scale livestock farms have failed twice this week, but Central Illinois lawmakers say they still hope for success during the Legislature's fall session.

Harkin seeks hog summit: October 30, 1997. Page A-1. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Sen. Tom Harkin on Wednesday called for a national summit on animal waste issues. [Also see Harkin news below.]

Livestock manure eyed as potent threat: October 30, 1997. Page A-12. SALISBURY, Md. (AP) -- ...The 1,600 dairies in California's Central Valley...produce more waste than a city of 21 million people..."Animal waste pollution is a national problem that demands a national solution," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. [Also see California news below.]

Controversial megahog farm foundation is laid: October 31, 1997. Page A-1. By Stephen Elliott of The Register-Mail, WILLIAMSFIELD -- Cement foundations were poured Thursday and the first walls are expected to be constructed in the coming weeks at The Highlands LLC 3,600-sow farm.

Editorial: State solutions better: November 3, 1997. Page A-4. By Robert F. Harrison, Editor. The failure of individual states to adequately regulate "mega" livestock production facilities -- whether real or just a perception -- may eventually bring federal controls... The failure of legislators to act...only adds to the growing cynicism among voters... The best place to determine policy...is at the state level.

Legislators still seeking tougher hog rules: November 4, 1997. Page A-5. By Chris McGathey of The Register-Mail, GALESBURG -- Although defeated by a Senate panel, a plan to enact tougher rules for mega-hog farms is not a dead issue, according to its advocates.

Poshard unveils plan: November 4, 1997. Page B-5. SPRINGFIELD (AP) -- Pork producers and their allies are unhappy with a proposal from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Glenn Poshard to give county boards the power to block the siting of mega hog farms.

Mangieri asks top state court for hog ruling: November 4, 1997. Page A-5. By Stephen Elliott of The Register-Mail, GALESBURG -- With support from more than half the state's attorneys in Illinois, Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri has filed a request with the Illinois Supreme Court for that body to decide a lawsuit involving a large-scale hog confinement operation near here... In his comments Thursday, Mangieri reiterated his argument that the farm is not a normal agricultural operation. "The facility which the Highlands seek to construct and operate is a large-scale livestock confinement facility where the land will be devoted to the raising the feeding of hogs and where the feed consumed is not part of the normal farm operation," Mangieri said...

Hogs ready to arrive at Highlands: November 26, 1997. Page A-1. By John R. Pulliam, City Editor, WILLIAMSFIELD -- The first building at The Highlands L.L.C.[Limited Liability Corporation] is nearly finished and the first hogs will be brought in in about three weeks. Meanwhile, activists opposed to the mega-hog farm operation between Williamsfield and Yates City reacted angrily to Tuesday's news that the state Supreme Court will not directly consider the appeal of a Knox County lawsuit seeking to regulate construction of the 3,600 sow, $2.5 million facility...

Mayor confident of grant: December 6, 1997. Page A-6. By Carol Clark. MONMOUTH -- After talking with officials from the Illinois Department of Commence and Community Affairs in Springfield Wednesday, Mayor Shawn Gillen is confident that Monmouth will get a $500,00 grant to place a new synthetic fabric cover over the anaerobic lagoon at the city's north sewage treatment facility... It's that lagoon [at the Farmland meatpacking plant] that is the source of the foul odor that often pollutes the air around town... The grant is based on the fact that the lagoon will have increased usage due to...when Farmland expands... [Bill Dowell, superintendent of Monmouth public works said] "... It takes a very, very, very tiny amount of hydrogen sulfide to make that smell...10 parts per million...That's still enough to make the odor."

Wake-up call for Illinois

Letter to Editor, 12/27/97 Galesburg Register-Mail

A year in the life: December 28, 1997. Page A-1. ...While opponents of the now-open Highlands Sow Farm, near Williamsfield, may contend the advent of such operations in our area is a disaster, this was not a one-time natural event. This was--and is--a story that raises questions about farming, about the environment and what the government's role should be in that equation. It's a story that will continue...

A pungent issue: December 28, 1997. Page A-1. By John R. Pulliam, City Editor. ...Mega-hog farms and the adequacy of the rules govening them have been an issue across the state, but a number of factors, including the fact that Knox County Board Chairman Jim Baird is one of the developers of a large-scale operation in eastern Knox County, made the story even more interesting in this area.

The Mega-Hog Farm Issue: At a Glance: December 28, 1997. Page A-6. Here are some of the key dates during 1997 in the battle over mega-hog farming in general, and in particular, Jim Baird and Doug Baird's $2.25 million, 3,600-sow confinement operation...

Editorial: Local control needed: January 19, 1998. Page A-4. By John R. Pulliam, City Editor. The argument continues over local control for siting large-scale livestock production facilities. We agree with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance that local control is needd, and support its call for a moratorium on operations with more than 500 animal units. Mega-livestock facilites are inevitable, and probably necessary, but the holes in Illinois' Livestock Facilities Management Act are big enough to herd thousands of hogs and cattle through. For instance, county boards may request public information meetings with prospective operators of operations that include lagoons, but operations using waste pits are not governed by the same regulations... [ SEE FULL TEXT!... ]

[Senate] approves livestock measure: April 3, 1998. Page A-1. By Adriana Colindres of Copley News Service. SPRINGFIELD--Some House Republicans got steamed and the Senate approved a proposal designed to improve regulation of large-scale livestock facilities...negotiations on regulating mega-livestock operations will begin later this month, after the Legislature's two-week spring break...The House bill, sponsored by Speaker Michael Madigan, has been amended to delete provisions on local control and a moratorium on the construction of large-scale livestock facilities...The Illinois Pork Producers Association and Illinois Farm Bureau support the Senate bill...

Baird plans to expand facility: June 12, 1998. Page A-1. By Jill Dolan. WILLIAMSFIELD -- A Knox County hog confinement facility here, only in full production for a month, may double in size in three years, its owners have confirmed. The Highlands LLC, a 3,600-sow hog confinement facility, is built on 120 acres about four miles south of here...Highlands is owned by Knox County Board Chairman Jim Baird and his son, Doug Baird, and is being operated in conjunction with Murphy Family Farms of North Carolina...

1,200-hog facility planned: June 18, 1998. Page A-1. By Andrew D. Brosig. MAQUON -- A hog-finishing facility is being planned on a farm southeast of Maquon along Knox County Road 1600E. ...Owners of the proposed facility are Donald and Julia May, Galesburg, and their son, Raymond May, of near Maquon. The Mays will contract with an eastern Iowa company, Oakville Feed and Grain Inc., to finish the pigs. Raymond May's wife, Pamela, will manage the operation...

Letter to Editor: LaHood needs to represent public: February 27, 1999. ...Mr. LaHood needs to stop his support of giant corporate agribusiness and start supporting the people who elected him!
http://www.farmweb.org/b/19990227_alisha.htm

Livestock odor bill lacks details: March 24, 1999, Page A-6. SPRINGFIELD (AP) -- In a move some critics call corporate welfare, the Illinois House has voted to help farmers cover part of the costs of controlling livestock odor. "The way it's written, the highest percentage of the dollars go the the biggest producers..." said Pam Hansen, agriculture organizer for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance...The legislation says farmers could receive up to 25 percent or a maximum $50,000 reimbursement for their odor-control costs, based on the size of their farm...
Also see: House Bill 512
Nov. 25 Sierra Club blasts pork bailout, calling it corporate welfare;
Nov. 30 Time Magazine Report on Corporate Welfare: Empire Of The Pigs.

State's top court to hear hog case: April 1, 1999. The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear Knox County's mega-hog farm case...No date has been set for the hearing...[Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri said] "The critical issue in this case...is whether or not that which was traditionally agricultural in nature ceases to be agricultural and instead, becomes industrial due to its size and potential impact...upon surrounding property values, air quality, and water integrity."...
Also see: Jan. 1, 1999 PJS; Aug. 26 Hearing set for Sept. 28.

Letter to Editor: CAFO problems still exist: April 3, 1999. Governor Ryan has succeeded in misleading much of the public and media into believing that adequate safeguards regarding CAFOs are now in place and this issue has been put to bed. Neither is true.
http://www.farmweb.org/b/19990403_kh.htm

Hog farm sued by state over its 'offensive odors': August 25, 1999. Page A-1. A Henderson County hog farm operator is violating the state Environmental Protection Act by allowing "strong, persistent and unreasonably offensive hog odors to emanate," Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The resulting air pollution is interfering with neighbors' use of their property, Ryan contended in the complaint filed in Herderson County Circuit Court against HenCo Hogs LLC...

Hog farm case to top court
State Supreme Court to hear oral arguments on Sept. 28: August 26, 1999. Page A-1. GALESBURG -- A Knox County case will be the first dealing with the mega-livestock issue to be heard before the Illinois Supreme Court...Sept. 28, in Springfield...[Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri [said] "The central issue is whether or not The Highlands operation should continue to receive the protection of the agricultural exception to the county's zoning laws or whether it should be treated as a commercial or industrial enterprise."...
Also see: Jan. 1, 1999 PJS.

Editorial: Landmark Case [Mega-operations need industrial regulation]: August 27, 1999. By John Pulliam, City Editor. ...a Knox County mega-livestock case scheduled for Sept. 28 before the state Supreme Court...will guide the state for years... Counties...still have no authority to regulate siting of the farms, a thorn in the side of both environmental activists and county zoning officials who feel this falls into the category of regulating industry, which they are allowed to do. ...we believe, at a certain size level, these operations do indeed become industries and should be regulated as such...

Assessment drop raises questions: August 28, 1999. Page A-1. WILLIAMSFIELD -- Property tax assessments on the mega-hog farm co-owned by former Knox County Board chairman Jim Baird dropped significantly in 1998. Some say the reduction was warranted, after an initial assessment failed to reflect the farm's incomplete operational status. Others say they are suspicious of the procedure, and blame a tangled series of events for leaving behind a number of questions that may never be fully answered...[since Knox County Supervisor of Assessments Doug Rossio was just fired]...

Mega-hog farm issue not dead: December 4, 1999. Following a Thursday state Supreme Court decision that passed the mega-hog farm buck back to the General Assembly, one candidate vowed Friday to fight for local control if voters in the 94th Legislative District send him to Springfield. "I see it as an issue of local control versus state control," Bill Butts a Democrat running to replace state Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, said during a morning press conference at his South Cherry Street Law office...Karen Hudson of Elmwood and Families Against Rural Messes, said... "I think they (Supreme Court) clarified that this is a legislative problem..." She promised her organization will continue to produce hard facts about the environmental dangers of the large farms... Hudson, however said she feels shortchanged by the legislature and vowed that the matter is not a dead issue. "No it is not," Hudson said. "They (the legislators) need to have the courage to accept that it is not."

State sues area hog-raising farm: December 21, 1999. Page A1. SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan this morning filed a lawsuit against The Highlands hog-raising farm near Williamsfield for a series of alleged odor violations since the Knox County-based operation opened in 1997...He is asking for an injuction that would stop further violations of the law. Ryan also is asking for civil fines of up to $50,000 for each violation and an additional fine of $10,000 for each day the violations continue......Ryan's complaint says that since January 1998, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has received about 230 complaints of offensive odor coming from the facility...

Bairds knew suit was coming: December 22, 1999. Page A-1 headline. GALESBURG -- Jim Baird and his son, Doug, owners of Highlands LLC, knew Monday's lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Jim Ryan against their hog-raising farm was coming. "We've been working with the EPA (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) and the Attorney General's Office for quite some time," Doug Baird, who is contracting with Murphy Family Farms, said Tuesday. "We've tried to cooperate as much as we can. We're aware of people's concerns. We're trying to make it as friendly to the environment and neighbors as we can..." ...two other suits similar in nature have been filed against farms in Henderson County. ...the attorney general's office is not seeking to shut down operations but rather is looking for a means of odor control. ...if no solution is found, [the attorney general's] office could eventually look at injunctions, stopping operations. Doug Baird said he and his dad have respected the rights of others from the beginning. Asked if his farm emits odors, Doug Baird said, "I don't think so, but different people have different feelings about it. What I don't consider odor, they may say it's awful. We have to look at our system and see if we can improve it." ...negotiations are continuing [with the attorney general's office]. If there is no solution, hearings will likely take place in the spring or summer...
Also see:
State Journal-Register Dec. 22, 1999: State sues hog farm because of odors

Petition calls for rehearing: December 24, 1999. Page A1 headline. GALESBURG -- A petition was filed Thursday in the state Supreme Court seeking a rehearing on a Knox County case in which the court ruled that counties do not have the power to regulate mega-hog farms. The petition was filed by attorney George Mueller of Ottawa on behalf of a number of area residents who were part of the previous case. Knox County is not a part of the petition for the rehearing...A spoleswoman at the Supreme Court explained that the justices will take a look at the petition and decide whether to hear it or not "probably in the first week in February."...
Also see:
Dec. 2, 1999: Illinois Supreme Court rules CAFOs are agriculture operations
http://www.farmweb.org/b/19991202_il_sup_court.htm

Hog odors revisited
Ag issues dominate governor's roundtable here: May 19, 2000. Frontpage headline. GALESBURG -- Agricultural issues were a hot topic o