Teresa Turk

Public Viewpoint

Northwest Arkansas Times

December 24, 2014

What Will Beebe’s Legacy Be?

According to a recent column by John Brummett, outgoing Governor Mike Beebe enjoys over a 60% approval rate by the citizens of Arkansas. This is an incredible statistic given the Republican wave that just swept through Arkansas’ November election. For the most part, the Governor has served our state well during his eight year tenure-implementing the highly successful (just copied by Utah) private option despite well -organized Republican opposition.

This past month, the Governor has taken some heat for pardoning his son. Unlike his actions with his son, the governor said he regretted allowing the placement of a huge hog feeding operation near the Buffalo River. The Governor doesn’t seem to have a strong personal connection with the river. Has he ever camped out on a gravel bar telling stories with his friends and family while staring at a gorgeous limestone bluff? Has he ever watched a pair of bald eagles dive for fish at the bow of a kayak? Has he ever felt that bone-chilling whoosh of water as he shot through a narrow white water rapid?

Evidence exists that the Buffalo River is already being contaminated by hog waste. This data is from the National Park Service that, unlike the University of Arkansas, has been collecting water quality information on Big Creek, upstream and downstream of Carver (where Big Creek enters the Buffalo) before and after the C&H hog farm became operational. The only thing that has changed in the past year is the over 2,000,000 gallons of hog waste produced by C&H stored in 2 unlined lagoons and then spread on 17 fields that are in close proximity to Big Creek.

The governor has stated on several occasions that if there was any evidence of the C&H operation polluting the Buffalo, he would shut it down. Is this enough evidence? In addition to the E. coli spikes, what about the unprecedented large algal blooms in both Big Creek and the Buffalo that occurred this spring and summer? How much more evidence do you require before acting?

This river is a profoundly personal experience for many Arkansans. Pardon the river and fix this mistake of your administration before it is too late. Shut the hog factory down not only to preserve your legacy, but to preserve the river for Arkansas and posterity. It deserves a second chance.

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