By Stacy James
Our work to hold the livestock industry to higher environmental performance standards is paying off! This legislative session, a bill (HB5642) was re-introduced to end the industry’s unique exemption from paying fees for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) pollution discharge permits. We initially introduced the bill in 2011 with our environmental partners after we discovered this exemption, but it was strongly opposed by the Farm Bureau and Illinois Pork Producers Association.
This session’s bill represents an agreement between the Illinois EPA and livestock industry, reached after several months of discussions this winter. Eight environmental groups joined Prairie Rivers Network in support of the bill, which passed out of the House Environment & Energy Committee in February. Provided the industry groups do not change their minds, we expect the bill to become law by the end of session. Passage of this bill would end the livestock industry’s unfair exemption from paying NPDES permit fees and provide the IEPA with needed revenue to implement the federal Clean Water Act.
It is important to not only support good bills, but to oppose bad bills. Representative Sacia from north western Illinois introduced a House bill (HB5143) that would make it illegal for people to photograph animal facilities, including livestock operations and irrespective of whether trespassing had occurred.
We believe this is an effort to shield the livestock industry from lawsuits stemming from documented pollution or animal abuse problems. If passed, this bill would prevent Prairie Rivers Network from gathering necessary evidence for filing complaints or civil suits against illegally discharging factory farms. Fortunately, we and many other organizations and citizens rallied against the bill and Representative Sacia wound up tabling it in the face of great public pressure and negative press. These sorts of bills come up regularly, so we need to stay alert and connected to our partners should subsequent action be needed.
In other news, the Illinois EPA finally submitted their draft livestock regulations to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB). Prairie Rivers Network will be evaluating the regulations and making public comments at the upcoming IPCB hearings. We were part of the stakeholder committee that advised IEPA on what the regulations should contain, so we are happy that this next stage of the process has begun.
What You Can Do…
Please thank the following legislators for supporting HB5642.
Sponsor:
Rep. Tryon (Crystal Lake)
Co-sponsors:
Rep. Currie (Chicago)
Rep. Cassidy (Chicago)
Rep. Bellock (Westmont)
Rep. May (Highwood)
Rep. Jakobsson (Urbana)
Rep. Cole (Grayslake)
