This is now a past issue since the state paid owner to close the CAFO. The information below will be retained for the present for history of the issue.
12/3/19 - Update regarding the permanent moratorium on medium and large CAFOs in the Buffalo River watershed
Members of the Pollution Control & Ecology Commission representing agricultural interests have managed to reopen the comment period on the proposed permanent moratorium supported by Governor Hutchinson. The new comment period is an unprecedented 90 days. When that ends, the commission must then vote in support of the rule making and that in turn must be approved by a legislative committee. We are certain that special interests are using this period to lobby hard against the proposed moratorium.
Submitting public comments in FAVOR of a permanent moratorium of medium and large CAFOs near the Buffalo will provide political support for Governor Hutchinson to push this through. Even if you have commented in the past, it is ok to c omment again.
Express your support for the moratorium at this link.
Use any or all of the following points to support your comments (preferably in your own words):
1) The watershed is that of a National River under the care of our state.
2) The geology of the drainage area is underlain by the Boone Formation which is karst geology, making the Buffalo watershed particularly vulnerable to pollutants.
3) CAFO waste is spread on pastures using the Arkansas Phosphorus Index (API) which fails to account for groundwater or karst.
4) Soils in the Buffalo River watershed are too thin to accommodate industrial level distribution of CAFO waste.
5) The record shows agency concerns and degradation in regard to the single facility permitted.
Above info is from an Ozark Society member.
6/13/19 - State strikes deal to remove hog farm from Buffalo River Watershed – Arkansas Times
Update posted 9/18/19 - The buyout of the C&H hog farm made big news this past June, but it makes no sense unless the moratorium on future CAFOs in the Buffalo Watershed is made permanent. Currently, there is a moratorium on future CAFOs but it is temporary and it expires in 2020! What can you do? Right now, there is a process underway to make the moratorium on future CAFOs permanent in Buffalo River Watershed. And, right now through September 23 is the public comment period in which you can make your opinion known. Address your email comment by the September 23 deadline to Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) at: reg-comment@adeq.state.ar.us or Harper@adeq.state.ar.us And here's all you need to say in your email If you agree on a permanent moratorium: "I agree with the Rule Changes to Rules 5 & 6 for a permanent swine CAFO moratorium in the Buffalo National River Watershed." Or, you can write your own statement at length about how important the Buffalo National River is and what it means to preserve it from all pollutants, CAFOs, and swine waste.
ADEQ Public Hearing on C&H Hog Farm’s Permit Application
10/16/18 – Tu – 5:30 pm - Jasper - ADEQ public hearing to accept comments on its draft decision to deny C&H Hog Farm’s permit application for a Regulation 5 permit. Jasper School Cafetorium, 600 School Street. Written and oral comments may be submitted at the public hearing. Comments may also be submitted in writing at http://water.adeq.commentinput.com/?id=m45xxd , by mail to ADEQ, ATTN: C&H Draft Denial at 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72118, or by email at Water-Draft-Permit-Comment@adeq.state.ar.us. The decision will be open for public comment until 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday 10/17.
Buffalo River Watershed Management Plan
10/10/17 - The Central Arkansas Group (CAG) submitted a letter concerning omission of Middle Big Creek from the 6 sub-watersheds chosen to be the initial focus of the Buffalo River Watershed Management Plan - Click HERE for a copy of the letter
ADEQ Public Hearing on C&H Farm's Permit Application
10/9/18 – 5 pm - Public Hearing at ADEQ HQ (NLR) on draft decision to deny C&H Hog Farm’s application for a Regulation 5 permit. ADEQ to accept comments on the draft denial. Written and oral comments may be submitted regarding the draft denial to the Hearing Officer for consideration at the public hearing. The decision will be open for public comment until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17. For more info, go to https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/poa/pi/news.aspx > (then select) News Releases
3/2/18 - Time Sensitive
URGENT ACTION ALERT! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW
Special interests are threatening to undermine ADEQ’s ability to protect clean water during the upcoming legislative special session. Call the Governor and your State Legislators today—let them know that you strongly favor protecting the Buffalo River and you want them to stand up against all efforts that would harm her.
Legislation is now being drafted which threatens to undermine protection of the Buffalo. This legislation will be considered during the upcoming Special Session but co-sponsors may be finalized by next Monday, March 5, after which it will be difficult to defeat.
Ask your elected representatives to NOT co-sponsor any such legislation but to:
Support responsible agriculture. Agriculture is a vital part of our economy and way of life as Arkansans. The Buffalo River Watershed has a strong history of family farming. However, C&H Hog Farm contracts with JBS, a Brazilian-based multinational conglomerate with a well-documented record of corruption and environmental degradation around the world. As the crown jewel of the Natural State and an economic engine for tourism, the unique geology of the Buffalo National River Watershed is not an appropriate location for industrial farming facilities.
Support adequate resources for ADEQ. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality needs to have adequate funding and resources to conduct proper permitting review and transparency. Restricting resources necessary to protect our air and water will harm all Arkansans.
Support due process. C&H applied for a new permit to operate that was denied by ADEQ. C&H is appealing the denial of the permit through the established administrative process. Permitting decisions should be made by experts at the agency, and should not be interfered with midstream by legislators while the process is playing out.
Call your state Senator and Representative and Governor Hutchinson today. Use this link to find contact information for your district representatives http://gis.arkansas.gov/viewer.php Zoom in on your location then click on the Senator or Repesentative shown for contact information. Also call Governor Hutchinson at 501-682-2345 or email alison.williams@governor.arkansas.gov
But it is important to reach your State Legislators ASAP
PLEASE ACT NOW TO PROTECT THE BUFFALO!
PRE-2017 information
- To see a selection of comments the ADEQ received by the close of the comment period on the C&H Reg 5 draft permit, click HERE. (4/14/17)
- Also check article in the Fall 2016 Chapter Newsletter
- Check Sierra Magazine online article at sc.org/buffaloriver (posted 2/23/17)
or at http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/green-life/buffalo-river-hog-cafo-threatens-america-s-first-national-river
or check a related article on CAFO hog farms in Sierra Magazine - March-April 2017 - pages 28-33
Basic Issue: A large hog farm has been placed in the Buffalo National River watershed and has the potential to pollute the River. (June 2014)
For the latest information, check the following:
Buffalo River Watershed Alliance - http://buffaloriveralliance.org/
Facts About the Mount Judea Hog Farm CAFO - http://buffaloriveralliance.org/page-1547312
1/7/17 - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette pg 1A for latest court ruling on waste dispersal
Below is a selection of info generated on this subject.
CAG Letter Submitted Concerning Omission of Middle Big Creek
from the 6 sub-watersheds chosen to be the initial focus of
the Buffalo River Watershed Management Plan
Tony Ramick
Fiscal Manager/Coordinator
Nonpoint Source Management Program
Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
101 East Capitol, Suite 350
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Office (501) 682-3914
Cell (501) 940-4964
From: Carolyn Shearman
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2017 10:19 PM
To: Gordon Watkins; Tony Ramick; David Peterson; Glen Hooks
Cc: George Wise; Becky Williams; James Woolly; Robin Rumph; Joe Wankum
Subject: Sierra Club Response to proposed BR Watershed Management Plan
Folks, The Central Arkansas Sierra Club Executive Committee has a serious objection to the omission of middle Big Creek from the 6 sub-watersheds chosen to be the initial focus of the plan. Here is our statement for inclusion in the record for the meeting in Jasper on Thursday, October 12, 2017. It is also attached as a formal letter.
The Sierra Club has received and read the “Buffalo River Watershed Management Plan” that was sent via email link by Terry Horton on October 5, 2017. Members of the Sierra Club have attended the meetings to date in Marshall and Jasper as stakeholders in creating this Watershed Management Plan for the Beautiful Buffalo River Action Committee (BBRAC). In these meetings, it has been said over and over that this document is for and by the stakeholders to create, own, and maintain over time.
We understand clearly that regulated, point-source activities are by statute not within the scope of this plan. And, we know that 6 sub-watersheds were chosen in this plan as focus for initial management practices and activities. And further, that middle Big Creek, where the C&H Hog Farm is, was not one of the chosen sub-watersheds. The plan states that this is because the C&H Hog Farm is a regulated confined animal feeding operation (CAFO), a point-source. However, we feel strongly that middle Big Creek can and should be included in the initial management plan and all non-point-source activities be monitored and have management practices applied. We are certain that EVERY sub-watershed within the Buffalo River system has both point-source and non-point-source activities and the plan’s rationale for de-selecting middle Big Creek is therefore not a valid criterion. It is an excuse!
Please make our concerns as stated in this letter known at the meeting October 12, 2017 in Jasper to all the other stakeholders present.
Sierra Club
The Executive Committee of the Central Arkansas Group
Carolyn Shearman, George Wise, Becky Williams, James Woolly, Robin Rumph, Joe Wankum
ADEQ Links on Pond Integrity Evaluation
Below are links to ADEQ web pages for the C&H Pond Integrity Evaluation along with background on the project and links to:
(1) the page where documents/plans for the project will be posted
(2) the draft work plan received from the contractor
(3) location where interested individuals can sign up to receive e-mails about the project.
C&H Pond Integrity Evaluation Page: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/bbri/c-and-h/
Project Documentation/Plans Page: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/bbri/c-and-h/drilling.aspx
Draft Work Plan (21.48 MB): https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/bbri/pdfs/20160801-c-and-h-draft-site-investigation-v1.pdf
E-mail Subscription Link: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/poa/pi/emaillist_subscribe.aspx?ml=DrillProject_emaillist&t=s
Manure-leak tests to begin at hog farm
9/18/16 - Drilling to test for hog manure leakage is set to begin this week... ...For more info, see article on page 6B of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Buffalo River is threatened from many fronts
6/12/16 - See article on page 13C of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Buffalo National River - C&H Hog Farm
5/15/16 - Test finds more moisture in manure-fertilized plots - See today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette pg 1B for more info.
12/27/15 - Equipment to vaporize pig manure has made its way to C&H Hog Farms after being tested at a hog operation in Conway County. For more info, see the 12/27/15 Sunday Democrat-Gazette page 1B.
12/18/15 - C&H Hog Farms - Environmental Assessment (EA) is now Available
- - - Comment period ends on January 18, 2016
A Final EA and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) have been prepared for the C&H Hog Farm near Mt. Judea.
Written comments on the Final EA will be accepted during the Public Comment period, which began on December 16, 2015, and ends on January 18, 2016. Comments on the Final EA can be sent via email (mailto: CHHogFarmComments@cardnogs.com), or mailed to C&H Hog Farm Comments c/o Cardno, 501 Butler Farm Rd., Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666. For additional information, please contact Nell Fuller at 202-720-6303.
Copies are available for review from December 16, 2015 to January 18, 2016 at the following locations:
1. Newton County, Public Library, Stone Street, Jasper, AR 72641
2. Arkansas FSA Office, 700 West Capitol Ave., Room 3416 Little Rock, AR 72201
3. Boone County FSA Office, 402 N. Walnut St., Suite 127, Harrison, AR 72601
4. FSA National Environmental Policy Act Website:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-cultural-resource/nepa/current-nepa-documents/index
Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for C&H Hog Farms (PDF)
The Draft FONSI ***can be found inside the front cover of the Final 143-page EA. The review period for the Draft FONSI is from December 16, 2015, to January 18, 2016. The FONSI will not be signed until after January 18, 2016. For additional information, please refer to the Public Availability section of the Draft FONSI.
*** Draft FONSI - http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/Environ-Cultural/fonsi_hog_farms_final_assesment.pdf
For additional info, see the Sunday 12/20/15 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette page 1B.
12/9 - EPA Moves To Protect Buffalo River, Other Wild Areas From Texas Air Pollution
4/24/15 - After action by a judge in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, Federal Agencies now have a year to complete a new Environmental Assessment of the hog farm.
4/24/15 - The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission met this morning and enacted a renewed 180-day moratorium on permitting new medium or large animal feeding operations in the Buffalo River Watershed. This was the third time the Commission has voted to place a temporary ban on any new industrial hog operations in the Buffalo River Watershed.
4/20/15 - Public Hearing in Jasper on C&H Farms to revise Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) to allow land application of wastewater from Waste Storage Pond 2 via tanker wagon. ADEQ will accept written comments between March 18 and April 17 as well as at the Public Hearing. Refer to Public Notice for NMP and Notice of Intent (NOI).
1/17/15 - The University of Arkansas study on impact of C&H hog farm on water in the Buffalo River watershed is running out of money .....study has so far been inconclusive .....legislature will need to decide during the current session whether to continue funding the study. (See Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 1/17/15 page 1B for more information.)
11/16/14 - Sometime early next year, Plasma Energy Group of Port Richey, Fla., will test a machine designed to vaporize hog waste on the C&H Hog Farms site ..... A Mount Judea hog farm's new contract with a Florida company for an untested hog waste disposal method has environmentalists worried about the potential effect on the surrounding area, even as the farm and the company insist that the new method should ease fears of pollution. http://buffaloriveralliance.org/page-1545631/3153477
10/18/14 - The Buffalo River Watershed Alliance and the Ozark River Stewards invite you to join them for an informative presentation that will cover recent developments in their multi-pronged efforts to protect and preserve our country's first national river. October 18, 2014 at St. Paul’s Parish, 224 N. East Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
7/24/14 - Park service focused on testing Big Creek ...repeated spikes in E coli ...after big rains ...assessment of E coli in the Buffalo River - http://www.bnrpartners.org/
7/1/14 update - from Glen Hooks, Chapter Director: Hi folks--one of our favorite places here in Arkansas is the Buffalo River. Cargill has put a 6500-head swine farm right there in the BR watershed. Easily the worst place to put a hog farm in our entire state. If you'd like to sign a letter to Cargill asking the company to move that monstrosity out of our Buffalo River watershed, please go to the following URL for our partners at Audubon audubonaction.org/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=50603&pgwrap=n&em_id=40601.1
Protect the Buffalo National River! - July 1, 2014 Deadline for Public Comments
The Ozark Society and the Arkansas Public Policy Panel need your help to ban new medium and large confined swine operations in the Buffalo National River watershed. Please provide written comments by July 1, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. to Doug Szenher, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Public Outreach and Assistance Division, 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72118 or by e-mail to reg-comment@adeq.state.ar.us ..............Click HERE for Talking Points
June 2014 - Basic Issue: A large hog farm has been placed in the Buffalo National River watershed and has the potential to pollute the River
Check the following web site:
Buffalo River Watershed Alliance - http://buffaloriveralliance.org/
Facts About the Mount Judea Hog Farm CAFO - http://buffaloriveralliance.org/page-1547312