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 Arrow Rock farmer Bob Stith speaks to reporters following a meeting Saturday, Feb. 24, of the Citizens to Protect State Parks and Historic Sites. The group formed in response to Dennis Gessling's proposal to build a new concentrated animal feeding operation two miles from the village. Stith's property is adjacent to the sites of the proposed CAFO, his home about a quarter of a mile from where the barns would be, he said. [Click to enlarge] |
State Rep. Jeff Harris (D-Columbia), who sponsored HB 909 and introduced it Feb. 19, met with the Citizens to Protect State Parks and Historic Sites organization (CPSPHS) in Arrow Rock Saturday, Feb. 24, to explain the bill and the legislative process it will go through.
The group, which formed in response to Arrow Rock farmer Dennis Gessling's proposed new CAFO about two miles west of the village, initiated the process of developing buffer zone legislation several weeks ago.
Members of the group fear that odor from Gessling's operation will hurt the tourist trade in the village, and residents near the operation worry about the effect it might have on their water supplies.
Harris won a round of applause from the group when he said, "If somebody says local government shouldn't be able to regulate a CAFO, they ought to move next door to this CAFO."
Bob Stith does live next door to the proposed CAFO and he worries about water contamination if liquid manure from the operation gets into nearby streams that his cattle drink from.
He also worries about his own drinking water. He said wells in the area are relatively weak and the consumption of water for the CAFO might deplete water supplies.
"That's the only thing that could drive me out of my house," he said. "If we lose our water."
The issue of local control looms over the Arrow Rock controversy and similar situations near two other state parks in Missouri.
Whitney Kerr, spokesman for CPSPHS, reported on his trip to Jefferson City to meet with advisors to Gov. Matt Blunt.
Blunt has expressed support for another key bill, SB 364, also known as the Missouri Farm and Food Preservation Act, which is sponsored by state Sen. Chris Koster (R-Harrisonville) and state Rep. Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown).
SB 364 aims to protect farmers from nuisance suits and to preserve their opportunity to expand and modernize their farming operations, according to supporters of the measure, but it would transfer more authority over local zoning and health issues to the state.
"They want to dissociate the world 'health' from the word 'agriculture'" in state law, said Julie Fisher, a leader in CPSPHS.
Harris and CPSPHS members expressed vehement opposition to SB 364.
Kerr said he didn't think he was able to change the minds of Blunt's advisors, but he expressed some hope that the senate bill, which he characterized as a "one size fits all" measure, would not succeed.
"I think there's considerable uncertainty whether Koster's bill will pass," he said. "I think there's a lot of opposition to the relinquishing of local control."
Fisher announced to the group that there will be a rally on the south steps of the Capitol Building in Jefferson City Monday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m. for anyone who opposes SB 364. The rally is sponsored by another group, Missourians for Local Control.
On the Net:
www.house.mo.gov/bills071/bills/HB909.HT...
www.senate.mo.gov/07info/bills/sb364.htm
Contact Eric Crump at