KATV

Liquid livestock waste permit transfer causing a stink at the Arkansas Capitol

by Marine Glisovic

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — An effort to move regulatory authority on liquid livestock waste permits over to another state entity is causing a stink at the Arkansas State Capitol.

SB550, filed by Rep. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, would transfer permitting authority from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.

The Central Arkansas Water system is opposing this bill because it doesn’t guarantee the same standards and protocols will be used.

“The bill as its currently written doesn't really restrict where it can go," said Randy Easley, CAW’s Director of Water Quality." "We're concerned about our watershed so potentially those liquid waste could then be put in other areas particularly of interest to drinking water utilities that are more sensitive to some pollutants."

On Wednesday, the director of ADEQ received a letter from the United States Environmental Protection Agency stating they were keeping a close eye on the legislation. The letter also states that if adopted, the EPA would need to further review if the state program possesses adequate authority to issue permits while still complying with the Clean Water Act.

An ADEQ spokesperson told KATV they’re also concerned and released this statement:

“ADEQ has a number of significant and technical concerns about SB550. ADEQ agrees with EPA that SB550 raises concerns regarding potential impacts to state programs and ADEQ's delegated authority to protect water quality. The Arkansas program to protect water quality must remain at least as stringent as federal requirements and this bill does not provide adequate assurances that it will satisfy EPA requirements.”

The Arkansas Farm Bureau, who is pushing for this legislation, claims it’s about making the permitting process easier for hog, dairy and poultry farmers.

"We've had farmers for the last 15-20 years looking to see a simplification in their permitting process,” said AFB’s governmental relations spokesperson, Matt King. “We're not talking about reducing any regulations or anything like that. Right now you have farmers who have both a hog farm and poultry farm and even some dairies that are having to go to one agency to get this permit, another agency to get another permit."

On Thursday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson released a statement and said he has reservations about changing the current process.

"It is important that adequate protections remain in place so that we can continue our diligent work to protect the Buffalo National River. Historically, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has been the agency of record for this type of permitting, and they already have the necessary expertise in place to make a determination on a Regulation 5 application. I am confident in the current process at ADEQ, and I continue to have reservations with regard to SB550 and the transfer of Regulation 5 permitting authority from the ADEQ to the Arkansas Natural Resource Commission (ANRC). I will continue to monitor this legislation closely.” 

SB550 passed through the Arkansas Senate on Tuesday.