To: WA State Board of Health
WA State Board of Health: Do not exempt concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) from healt...
Factory farms store and stockpile huge amounts of urine and feces on site and sometimes next to family homes. Current Washington laws allow neighbors to complain to public health officials about hazardous situations. Do not exempt concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) from these health regulations.
Why is this important?
There is a law in Washington State that prohibits anyone from storing manure in ways that endanger human health and well-being. The WA State Board of Health is considering a revision of this regulation (WAC 173-203-130) that would exempt concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) from this law.
CAFOs are farms where hundreds of animals are confined in small areas for most of the year. As a result, CAFOs struggle to manage huge amounts of urine and feces. CAFOs store these by-products on-site and occasionally next to family homes. The current law allows neighbors to seek relief by complaining to public health officials.
In rural Yakima County, for example, factory farms have built manure lagoons and stockpiled manure within throwing distance of family homes. In 2017 floodwaters sent overflow from dairy lagoons and compost areas into twelve rural residences.
The WA Farm Bureau contends that the WA State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is better equipped to address these problems than health officers. However, the WSDA has no expertise in human health. Giving this responsibility to WSDA means that nothing will be done to protect neighbors from the excesses of factory farming.
Please sign our petition.
WA State Board of Health: Do not exempt CAFOs from health regulations.
Keeping of Animals
The WA State Board of Health received a petition to update WAC 246-203-130, Keeping of Animals in 2009. The rule addresses health, sanitation, and nuisance associated with animal keeping, mainly as it relates to manure handling and disposal. In July 2009, the Board directed staff to file a CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, to explore issues and initiate rulemaking.
Work on the rule stalled and the Board devoted time to issues and concerns with large animal feeding operations and related regulatory programs. In 2018, Board staff completed a background report on environmental health concerns and the regulatory structure managing animal waste. The report also outlines Board policy recommendations modernizing the rule to fill a unique role in the state regulatory structure.
Work is now underway drafting rule language for stakeholder input and public review, with the goal of adopting a revised rule by late 2019. For more information on this rule or to be added to the email list for this rulemaking project, email Stuart Glasoe at [email protected] or call 360-236-4111.
WA State Board of Health at https://sboh.wa.gov/Rulemaking/OurRulemakingActivity/KeepingofAnimals
Drone video: Possibly manure-contaminated floodwater swamps parts of Outlook https://www.yakimaherald.com/photos_and_videos/videos/drone-video-possibly-manure-contaminated-floodwater-swamps-parts-of-outlook/html_e94f5936-ffae-11e6-9c62-0f53e3fdcd2d.html
Irrigation District: No clogged drain in Outlook flooding https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lower_valley/irrigation-district-no-clogged-drain-in-outlook-flooding/article_78824582-ff91-11e6-982e-c3baad38019e.html
The State says no penalty for dairy after manure-tainted water floods homes, wells in Outlook https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lower_valley/state-says-no-penalty-for-dairy-after-manure-tainted-water/article_257288f6-4fa1-11e7-9e3e-b3b4a206c0e6.html
CAFOs are farms where hundreds of animals are confined in small areas for most of the year. As a result, CAFOs struggle to manage huge amounts of urine and feces. CAFOs store these by-products on-site and occasionally next to family homes. The current law allows neighbors to seek relief by complaining to public health officials.
In rural Yakima County, for example, factory farms have built manure lagoons and stockpiled manure within throwing distance of family homes. In 2017 floodwaters sent overflow from dairy lagoons and compost areas into twelve rural residences.
The WA Farm Bureau contends that the WA State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is better equipped to address these problems than health officers. However, the WSDA has no expertise in human health. Giving this responsibility to WSDA means that nothing will be done to protect neighbors from the excesses of factory farming.
Please sign our petition.
WA State Board of Health: Do not exempt CAFOs from health regulations.
Keeping of Animals
The WA State Board of Health received a petition to update WAC 246-203-130, Keeping of Animals in 2009. The rule addresses health, sanitation, and nuisance associated with animal keeping, mainly as it relates to manure handling and disposal. In July 2009, the Board directed staff to file a CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, to explore issues and initiate rulemaking.
Work on the rule stalled and the Board devoted time to issues and concerns with large animal feeding operations and related regulatory programs. In 2018, Board staff completed a background report on environmental health concerns and the regulatory structure managing animal waste. The report also outlines Board policy recommendations modernizing the rule to fill a unique role in the state regulatory structure.
Work is now underway drafting rule language for stakeholder input and public review, with the goal of adopting a revised rule by late 2019. For more information on this rule or to be added to the email list for this rulemaking project, email Stuart Glasoe at [email protected] or call 360-236-4111.
WA State Board of Health at https://sboh.wa.gov/Rulemaking/OurRulemakingActivity/KeepingofAnimals
Drone video: Possibly manure-contaminated floodwater swamps parts of Outlook https://www.yakimaherald.com/photos_and_videos/videos/drone-video-possibly-manure-contaminated-floodwater-swamps-parts-of-outlook/html_e94f5936-ffae-11e6-9c62-0f53e3fdcd2d.html
Irrigation District: No clogged drain in Outlook flooding https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lower_valley/irrigation-district-no-clogged-drain-in-outlook-flooding/article_78824582-ff91-11e6-982e-c3baad38019e.html
The State says no penalty for dairy after manure-tainted water floods homes, wells in Outlook https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lower_valley/state-says-no-penalty-for-dairy-after-manure-tainted-water/article_257288f6-4fa1-11e7-9e3e-b3b4a206c0e6.html