Poultry wars in Oklahoma

Cow wars in Wisconsin, hog wars in Missouri (see here), down the center of this great country we go to Oklahoma, where the factory farms raise poultry. A federal magistrate yesterday expedited discovery in Oklahoma's suit against the poultry industry, which alleges that concentrated animal feeding operations violate state and federal environmental laws. According to the AG's office, the defendants had wanted to delay soil and water sampling until after spring barn cleaning. In addition, state legislators recently shut down an industry attempt to circumvent environmental laws by declaring that animal waste is not "hazardous." Ah, you say, those crafty corporate lawyers have been rebuffed by the People's representatives! Chill: Congress is considering a bill which would declare waste not a "hazardous substance"the purposes of reporting under Superfund. See  H.R. 4341.

Also, Suzi Parker at Grist has a fine background piece on the environmental and economic effects of concentrated animal feeding operations for poultry in in the South. Notably absent is the effect of such systems on animals: painful debeaking, no room to move, disease, and death. Parker's piece does show how many interests are threatened by CAFOs and raises hopes that there could be legislative action to curtail (rather than encourage) these operations and, in doing so, make it less profitable for poultry companies to do business.