Protecting Buffalo River won’t harm small farms

Small farms and the Buffalo River have coexisted for hundreds of years without excessive pollution of the first national river in America. The concentrated animal feeding operation issue is not “river vs. farmers” regardless of what politicians say.

Truthfully, these small farms exist today because of efforts in the 1960s to save the Buffalo River and stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from flooding the entire river valley to build a dam. Google the history. It’s a shining moment for Arkansans and Friends of the Buffalo.

The Buffalo National River is now impaired. What changed? A feeding operation lately located in the watershed. The timeline of that swine factory and the pollutants in the Buffalo National River track simultaneously. Arkansas is the steward of this national treasure. The only option for Arkansans is to do whatever it takes to protect these waters. The true small farmers on the Buffalo River will continue to co-exist from mutually beneficial environmental practices. The tourists will respect any access limitations that may be necessary for future usage protections. Good neighbor policies, as advocated by the Farm Bureau, means doing what’s right for everybody, not just for a single misplaced corporate feeding operation.

Decisions in the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality should be driven by impartial factual evidence and science produced by professionals in their respective fields for the benefit of all Arkansans, not by political appointments for selected corporate industries. My objections to C&H Farms remain the same: (1) Lack of a written emergency environmental disaster plan; (2) negative health impact on residents and tourists; (3) economic disaster to tourism businesses; (4) Department of Environmental Quality policy/procedure enforcement failure; and (5) inhumane treatment of large animals.

Close the combined animal feeding operation.

DEBBIE ALEXY

Fayetteville