Environment agency chief orders 5% cut         Division heads’ proposals likely to pare jobs, she says By Emily Walkenhorst  This article was published today at 3:15 a.m.                                                 […]

Event marks opportunity to make a difference By Fran Alexander Posted: October 20, 2015 at 1 a.m. NWA online Some sort of lulled assumption settles over us as a society when it comes to realizing how things get done. For example, most of our lives are spent utilizing public lands […]

The hog factory Try again, please By Mike Masterson Posted: October 20, 2015 at 4:05 a.m. A federal judge is giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Small Business Administration three additional months to finally comply with two federal environmental laws in properly completing their required environmental reassessment for […]

NWAOnline Guest commentary: Insuring the health of an industry Risks to Buffalo River from farm remain high By Brian Thompson Posted: October 10, 2015 at 1 a.m. Much has been written about the Buffalo National River in regard to its environmental value as an extraordinary water resource. But, what if […]

Judge gives 2 federal agencies more time to evaluate hog farm  By Emily Walkenhorstn A federal judge granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Services Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration on Wednesday three more months to comply with two federal environmental laws in their assessment of the impact […]

Readers want hearing by Mike Masterson Thanks to valued readers who responded to my call last week for comments on our governor and the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission needing to instruct the foot-dragging Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (cough) to schedule a hearing where all new research on possible […]

Hog farm modification produces debate; Public hearing in Jasper By DAVID HOLSTED Harrison Daily Times – Harrison, Arkansas JASPER — Opinions differed, as usual, at a public hearing about the C&H Hog Farm. What we have here is little more than a public relations effort to conceal the major pollution threat […]

It’s the politics, stupid  By Mike Masterson I was visiting the other day with a former employee of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (cough) about that controversial hog factory the agency wrongheadedly permitted to set up shop two years ago in our treasured Buffalo National River watershed. He offered an […]

Fit to be fried A new complaint By Mike Masterson Posted: September 27, 2015 at 2:03 a.m. The Buffalo River Watershed Alliance is, well, fit to be fried over the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s (cough) failure to fully monitor the misplaced Newton County hog factory in the Buffalo National River […]

Toxic CAFOs What’s in the water By Mike Masterson Posted: September 22, 2015 at 2:19 a.m. The good folks of Arkansas are by no means alone with concerns over the treasured Buffalo National River being contaminated by hog waste from a large factory farm like the hundreds that have replaced traditional […]

Arkansas Times Group presses state for action on Buffalo watershed hog farm Posted By Max Brantley on Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 1:35 PM The Buffalo River Watershed Alliance continues to press the state Department of Environmental Quality for action on the hog farm in Mount Judea on a tributary of the Buffalo River. In a letter to department director Becky […]

Farm Bureau ‘whereases’ By Mike Masterson Posted: September 18, 2015 at 1:54 a.m.n Occasionally I’ll read something that sets my head to shaking left, then right, and I’ll mumble, “you gotta be kidding!”n It happened again last week after receiving a copy of resolutions conceived by the Newton County Farm Bureau […]

Read the whole story here: CAFO’s: The facts about factory farms John Ikerdjohnikerd.comSun, 13 Sep 2015 21:12 UTC       Comment: The economics of CAFOs: There are approximately 15,000 CAFOs in the US, which raise 50% of all animals used for our food. The largest food processors hold the greatest share of the […]

Eureka Springs Independent Five-year ban approved no hog factories on the Buffalo River Work to close existing facility continues  Becky GilletteWednesday, September 09, 2015 Supporters celebrated a significant victory last week when the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission approved a five-year ban on permits for new factory hogs farms […]

 Okay, but …n’Hognitive’ dissonanceBy Mike MastersonI’m no psychologist, yet it strikes me our state is roiling in a state of cognitive (I prefer hognitive) dissonance when it comes to the controversial and divisive C&H Hog Farms it allowed into the Buffalo National River watershed.I’ll explain. First off, our state in […]

Arkansas Times Group says new hog farm environmental review flawed Posted By Max Brantley on Fri, Sep 4, 2015 at 1:00 PM A new environmental assessment of the C and H factory hog farm in the Buffalo River watershed is “significantly flawed.” So says theBuffalo River Coalition, which is fighting the waste-producing operation in the pollution susceptible […]

Hog Factory Threatens Fish and Wildlife on Buffalo River – National Wildlife Federation National Wildlife Federation 9/3/2015 // By Kelly Wagner In a natural wonderland in northwestern Arkansas, the Buffalo National Scenic River runs through picturesque terrain that serves as a home to a number of endangered species, including the Gray Bat. […]

Arkansasonline Between the lines: Few pigs, sooieeState gives ban on farms near Buffalo River a five-year tryBy Brenda Blagg There will be no more medium and large hog farms permitted in the Buffalo National River watershed for at least the next five years.The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission approved […]

Newton County Times Five year ban on new CAFOs in Buffalo watershed   Posted: Monday, August 31, 2015 4:00 pm Staff report | 0 comments Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission adopted last week changes to its regulations that  will prohibit new permits for large swine facilities in the Buffalo River Watershed. The Arkansas […]

Arkansasonline  Environment notebook Equipment testing stalled at hog site Cargill officials have yet to move forward with planned testing of vaporizing equipment at a Conway County hog facility. Mike Martin, a spokesman for Cargill’s pork division, said the company does not yet have an estimated arrival date for the vaporizing […]