This is the second time I've posted this and, unfortunately, I haven't had time to do any kind of research on this or find out if anyone is yet organizing to fight this. And I won't get a chance to do so for several days.
But I'm trying to make sure every dKossian from Oklahoma knows that a bill by Don Justice which defines animal waste as non-hazardous has passed the Senate Rules Committee. This is infiltration by Tyson, et al, plain and simple, although Justice is pawning it off as commonsensical:
"There is a real concern among the agriculture community that animal waste could be lumped in with nuclear waste. If that happened it would be devastating to the state and the industry," said Justice, R-Chickasha. "I know that in the rural areas when you’re hauling livestock there are times when the manure spills out. We certainly don’t want too see having to rope off those areas and coming in to treat that material as hazardous. This is a practical thing – it’s just something we need to clear up before people misunderstand and misidentify."
If you're unaware of Edmondson's excellent efforts in fighting off pollution of our streams and waterways by Tyson, et al, and Tyson's pushback against these efforts over the last year or so, I will post more about it on Thursday or Friday.
Or one of you fellow Okies can!
I'll also post more about the environmental damage which is being done by Tyson, et al, so that hopefully any Okie disbelievers can come to a better understanding of why it is so, so important we fight this, and fight it hard.
For now, you need to know that Justice and company characterize animal shit this way:
When we’re looking at animal manures we’re really looking at plant nutrients, and in a sense recycled plant nutrients because animals take in the plant nutrients and then the plant nutrients are left behind.
But, as an editorial in my local paper stated:
Would you eagerly consume a spoonful of chicken feces, or gleefully roll in a vat filled with fresh cow manure? No, you wouldn't, and if forced to commit either perversion, wouldn't your first subsequent act be to rid yourself of the contaminant with water?
If Sen. Ron Justice gets his way, the difference between that water and the excrement you'd be trying to wash away might be less substantial than you'd think. This Republican lawmaker from Chickasha wants animal manure classified as "non-hazardous"
[...]
As for Mr. Justice, a couple of low-key, free-range chicken farmers in Cherokee County said they'd gladly set aside a bucket of muck for him to sample. If he's not willing to give it a go, he needs to back off his claim that dung isn't dangerous.
We can assume Justice's head is so deep up the backend of agribiz and Tyson that he somehow missed the recent e. coli events, among other things. And if anyone can round up Justice's campaign contributors, I would be most grateful!
The bill itself can be read here.
I'm sure movement within the state is underway to defeat this, but I haven't yet determined who, what, where and when.
I'm going to post about this every few days until we get some movement going and until I know all Okies here on dKos know about it.
And now, just like last week when I first posted this, I'm off to plant, except this time, it's more blueberries, some raspberries and grapes, and the like.