A new rule change in Arkansas could potentially lead to toxic pig waste contaminating the Arkansas Buffalo River’s water.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture changed a rule about how pig farmers will dispose of waste near the Buffalo River. After the new rule, all data about the pig waste will now only come from the Agriculture Department’s website. Transparency is reportedly gone.
Water Contamination Risk Reported After Arkansas Rule Change
Arkansas environmental groups across the state are worried about a new rule from the Department of Agriculture that limits public access to livestock farm permit details. This rule shifts the oversight from the Department of Environmental Quality to Agriculture.
The rule bans new hog farm permits in the Buffalo River area to protect water, but it reduces public transparency. Now, permit info will only be on the Agriculture Department’s website.
Gordon Watkins, who is president of the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, warns that under the old system, the public could easily check detailed farm compliance online. This detailed access is now gone. He says “regulation 5″ is to blame.
Advocates fear this reduced transparency will make it harder to legally challenge permits of pig farmers, possibly increasing pollution. This policy change has ignited a debate on environmental accountability and public rights to information.
The presence of hog farms within the Buffalo River watershed has stirred significant controversy for years. Notably, C&H Hog Farm, a large-scale facility, gained notoriety after receiving a permit for liquid animal waste management more than ten years ago.
