Prairie Rivers Network and our partners have introduced a bill that will improve the siting and management of factory farms in Illinois.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED – Please contact your state representative and ask him or her to support House Bill 5637.
Overview of HB 5637:
This bill will amend the Livestock Management Facilities Act, which regulates the siting and management of new factory farms. Representative Naomi Jakobsson is the sponsor of the bill. We need our members and supporters to contact their state representatives and ask them to support this bill. If Jakobsson is your representative, you do not need to take action (though please thank her if you have the chance).
How to contact your state representative:
We suggest you call their district office and leave a message with the person who answers the phone. If you would rather not call, then please email your message and include “Support HB 5637” in the subject line.
You can find your state representative and their phone and email by going here:
www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/addressfinder.aspx
Sample message to your representative:
My name is X and I am a constituent. I am asking Representative X to support HB 5637. This bill will better protect neighbors and the environment from the negative impacts of large livestock farms. I hope this is something Representative X can support.
Summary of the bill:
- Creates a facility siting setback from surface waters
- Increases the existing siting setback from homes and towns
- Requires more factory farms to submit their waste management plans to the Department of Agriculture
- Requires waste management plans to include a spill control and prevention plan, and more stringent land application criteria to prevent water pollution
- Gives neighbors more rights, including the right to appeal siting decisions
- Gives county boards more authority to decide whether new factory farms can be sited
- Requires expanding factory farms to meet similar requirements to new factory farms.
Timeline:
Please call as soon as possible. If you can’t act today, please take action by March 7.
Thank you so much for taking action. Numbers matter, so your action is very important!
You can read more about factory farms on our website.
