Longtime Sierrans will remember the battles related to CAFO's the Sierra Club fought in the early 2000's. It was a time when large scale animal farms were making inroads into our rural communities, polluting the water and creating horrible odors and unhealthy living conditions for those who had lived there many years, effectively destroying their property values and their way of life. Mr. Jones stood up and said "no more." He worked so hard to protect his spot—and helped to lay the groundwork to protect others that in 2006 the Alabama Chapter of the Sierra Club recognized him as our Conservationist of the Year.
Mr. Willard Jones, age 90 of House Springs, MO (formerly of Henagar), passed away on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at Garden View Center.
See below for a telling of the story by Bryan and Leslie Burgess, longtime friends of Mr. Jones and long-time Sierra Club activists.
Willard and Barbara Jones were from Sand Mountain in Northeast Alabama, and upon retirement they came back to land that they owned in Ider, preparing to build their last home. What they found was a hog CAFO right next door, complete with odors, noise and pollution in their creek downstream from the CAFO. They couldn't build on their land and had to buy elsewhere.
Willard joined Sand Mountain Concerned Citizens (SMCC), which was formed to fight multiple CAFOs in the area, and he became a strong voice for locals who were similarly affected. With help from Bryan Burgess and Blake Otwell (chemistry professor at Jacksonville State University), Willard learned how to test water for pollutants according to EPA protocols, and sampled the creek water on a scheduled basis for approximately two years. He submitted the samples to the lab at JSU and discovered high levels of bacteria. Two independent commercial environmental labs duplicated the sampling and their results matched JSU's. Professors from UAB and UAH asked to participate, and Willard accompanied them and their students as they sampled and studied the creek. Along with Sierra Club and environmental attorney Mark Martin, a suit was brought against the CAFO next door to Willard's property.
In the same timeframe, Willard was a leader in bringing attention to the CAFO issue in Montgomery. He and Barbara hosted many SMCC monthly and emergency meetings in planning the approach to getting relief. He helped organize bus trips carrying Ider citizens to the capitol where he and others demonstrated on the capitol steps and addressed legislative committees regarding the need for relief from the negative effects of CAFOs.
Many other environmental groups joined the Hog Wars. A continuous and massive effort of presentations were made to the Alabama Environmental Commission showing the problems and the lax attitude of ADEM in enforcing existing hog CAFO environmental regulations. CAFO regulations were finally strengthened to help rural areas avoid the negative impacts of massive hog operations.
Finally, Willard's suit resulted in an award funded by ALFA, the CAFO insurer, which was celebrated at a press event at his home. It was a long and difficult effort. Family toll was high. Much of the Jones' retirement was absorbed by the hog battle.
Willard became a close friend of ours during the "Hog Wars" and never stopped being a friend. He served on the Board of Friends of Rural Alabama (our 501c3) and continued to contribute to environmental causes until he moved to Kansas, following the death of his wife. He was known as a hero to all who knew him, never giving up, not afraid to defend himself, and fearless in the face of the big guys.
Brenda Ivey, an Ider resident with a CAFO behind her house, said this about Willard: "I guess my first thought that came to mind: he was number one true hero to me and fought the good fight for everyone. He was my encourager. He encouraged me to never give up. He never gave up and encouraged me every step of the fight. He always assured me we will win this battle!! A friend forever that will never be forgotten!! Words cannot express enough what's in my heart for Mr. Jones!!! "