PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:
Socially Responsible Agriculture Project
1120 Washington Ave. Suite 200 Golden, CO 80401
(503) 362-8303
Hog CAFO Threatens Water Quality of Mahomet Aquifer – Residents
Concerned About Health, Safety, and Access to Clean Water and Air
Mason County, Illinois – Mason County Concerned Citizens (MCCC) has
partnered with Illinois Coalition for Clean Air & Water (ICCAW) and the Socially
Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP) to submit comments to the USDA Farm
Service Agency (FSA) on the impacts of a swine concentrated animal feeding
operation (CAFO) proposed by Fanter Farms in Mason County Illinois.
The site is located over the Mahomet Aquifer which was designated as a
Sole Source Aquifer in 2015. Over half the population in east-central Illinois
relies on the Mahomet Aquifer system as the sole source of their drinking
water.
Fanter Farms recently applied for a Beginner Farmer Loan through the USDA
direct and guaranteed FSA loan program to construct the 2,400 head swine
CAFO. Prior to approving a loan to finance a CAFO, FSA must consider the
potential impact on local water sources and ecology via an environmental review.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Endangered Species Act, FSA is
required to consider the environmental and cultural impacts of government loans
that are approved through its program. Areas of special concern such as effects
on minority and low-income populations and water resources are among issues
to be evaluated.
The FSA recently issued a public notice regarding the Fanter project and invites
public comment as they complete the current environmental assessment (EA).
Residents are concerned that the project’s proposed site is located near existing
residences and would expose residents to the public health effects associated
with industrial livestock operations. Many residents living in the community of
Peterville near the proposed site experience serious health issues, are on
supplemental oxygen, and are low-income minority populations.
Scientific research has shown, over and over again, that industrial livestock
operations can contribute to health problems, lack of access to safe drinking
water, and unsafe air to breathe for communities living nearby.
Furthermore, an industrial CAFO coming into the neighborhood would negatively
impact property values, destabilize the local socioeconomic structure, and would
endanger the Illinois Chorus Frog – which is a vulnerable and threatened
species.
The high potential of the Mahomet Aquifer – which is the sole source for
drinking water for a large portion of Illinois – to be contaminated by the
CAFO’s operations is critically concerning.
A new Bill (SB 2515) to create a permanent Mahomet Advisory Council
dedicated to protect the Mahomet Aquifer passed both houses in the General
Assembly and is currently on the Governor's desk. The proposed CAFO is a
direct and serious threat to the safety of the aquifer.
“Agricultural runoff has long been noted as one of the threats to the integrity of
the Mahomet Aquifer. The passage of this bill is timely, in that it recognizes the
urgency to preserve the drinking water purity for all of East- Central Illinois,”
stated Karen Hudson of ICCAW and SRAP. “The future of the Mahomet lies in
the hands of the FSA who is using our tax dollars to either subsidize or deny
loans for projects that could affect almost 500,000 residents whose lives and
livelihoods rely on a clean water source.”
The MCCC is also submitting new photos showing flooded fields from recent
heavy rains. Drainage ditches in the area often have year- round standing water
due to the elevated aquifer. There are also sections of farm fields unable to be
planted for three years in a row due to constantly saturated ground, according to
the coalition.
“This project is trying to place 2400 swine and their 10 ft deep waste pits along
my road that was rebuilt & elevated one and a half feet after severe flooding
inundated us in 1993,” stated Kay Curtis, one of the nearest neighbors to the
site. “It makes zero sense to store and spread the untreated waste of over two
thousand hogs in our sandy and soggy neighborhood. The last thing our aquifer
and shallow private wells need is more animal waste runoff and leaks.”
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About Socially Responsible Agriculture Project
For more than 20 years, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP) has
served as a mobilizing force to empower communities to protect themselves from
the damages caused by industrial livestock operations and to advocate for a food
system built on regenerative practices, justice, democracy, and resilience. Our
team includes technical experts, independent family farmers, and rural residents
who have faced the threats of factory farms in their communities. When asked for
help, SRAP offers free support, providing communities with the knowledge and
skills to protect their right to clean water, air, and soil and to a healthy, just, and
vibrant future. www.sraproject.org
About Illinois Coalition for Clean Air and Water
Illinois Coalition for Clean Air and Water (ICCAW) is a state-wide coalition of
family farmers and community groups advocating for sound policies and
practices that protect the environment, human health, and rural quality of life from
the impacts of large-scale, industrialized livestock production facilities in Illinois.
www.iccaw.org
About Mason County Concerned Citizens
The Mason County Concerned Citizens coalition supports responsible livestock
production and is calling for stronger livestock regulations that will better protect
public health and future rural development in Illinois.
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