We need your help today to pass a bill that will
strengthen oversight of factory farms in Illinois !
- Dairy cows inside a factory farm
Prairie Rivers Network, Environment Illinois, and Illinois Citizens for Clean Air & Water are supporting a bill to establish a fee for water pollution permits issued to factory farms.
Factory farms are the only major industry not subject to permit fees, leaving the taxpayers, not the livestock industry, to foot the bill.
If passed, the fee will cover the cost for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to administer both their livestock permitting and inspection programs.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency supports our bill, and will use the fees to improve their inadequate livestock program so it meets the standards of the federal Clean Water Act.
Members of the House and Senate Environment Committees need to hear there is public support for House Bill 3504 and Senate Bill 2209. And they need to hear soon, before the bills come up for committee vote.
Please take any or all of the following steps today:
- Contact Representative Michael Tryon (815-459-6453, mike@miketryon.com) and Senator Ira Silverstein (773-743-5015, isilverstein@senatedem.ilga.gov) and thank them for sponsoring the NPDES permit fee bill for livestock operations.
- Contact members of the House Environment Committee and Senate Environment Committee and urge them to vote for HB3504 and SB2209, respectively.
- Contact your State Representative and Senator and ask them to support HB3504 and SB2209, respectively.
Thank you for your actions to make a difference! And please contact Stacy James * sjames @ prairierivers.org * at the Prairie Rivers Network office if you are interested in participating in Environmental Lobby Day on March 30.
