Bluestem has been looking at the problem of regulatory capture--the control of government agencies and authorities by the industries they are supposed to watchdog--for a while now, and we think we've stumbled upon a particularly egregious example of of a regulate industry setting the agenda in agricultural policy.
On July 12-15 in Bismarck, North Dakota, the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments Midwest will hold its 70th annual meeting. In the working agenda for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, we find an interesting contrast between all of the panels, comprised of academic experts, legislators, government officials, a debate between business consultants with opposite views of the renewable energy standard, and a final public policy roundtable on Livestock Siting: Issues, Challenges and Options, led by one Eldon McAfee:
Who is Eldon L. McAfee, who will be leading a roundtable about how those pesky regulations get in the way of ginormous livestock operations?
In its 2014 Masters of the Pork Industry salute to the Iowa Pork Producers Association legal counsel, Eldon McAfee Honors his Roots and Keeps Agriculture in the Forefront, National Hog Farmer magazine looked favorably on his career as a "manure lawyer."
Agriculture reported in January's PEDv, Water Suit Hot Topics at Pork Congress:
Another topic of concern to producers is the Des Moines Water Walks notice of intent to sue 10 drainage districts in three Iowa counties under the Clean Water Act. Is discharge from field tile lines point source pollution? Farmers are not sure how this will play out.
Attorney Eldon McAfee told producers to be extra careful about manure applications this winter....
Yes, the roundtable about regulating the livestock industry will be led by a livestock industry lawyer. And not just any industry lawyer, but a master of the pork industry. Learn more about McAfee's work on behalf of the pork industry in CAFO Inspection Settlement Reached in Iowa.
What's this done for Iowa? The Associated Press reported in May in Iowa's impaired waters list grows 15 percent in 2 years:
The number of Iowa’s lakes, rivers and streams that are impaired due to some level of pollution has climbed 15 percent in two years, according to a new state report, prompting environmental groups to say the state’s efforts to reduce pollution aren’t working.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources plans to report 725 impaired water bodies to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this summer; the last time a report was filed in 2012, there were 630 impaired waterways. States must compile impaired waters reports every two years under the Clean Water Act.
Two of the most frequently cited problems for rivers and streams are bacteria and fish kills, largely the result of manure spills or waste storage leaks from large-scale hog or cattle operations. For lakes, the most commonly identified impairments are excess algae, too much suspended sediment and bacteria — all of which indicate the presence of human or animal waste. Algae blooms in particular occur with large concentrations of nitrates and phosphorous from manure on farm fields or leaking septic tanks or industrial and city waste treatment plants.
Iowa’s robust agricultural economy — leading the nation in pork and egg production — presents a challenge dealing with manure generated by more than 20 million hogs and 60 million chickens, although the flock in the last month has shrunk by 40 percent from a deadly strain of bird flu. It’s also tops in corn production, a crop that needs an abundance of nitrogen fertilizer to maximize yields. Yet, the nutrient can leach into rivers, causing high nitrate levels. It also can leach into lakes, contributing to toxic algae blooms. . . .
A copy the entire committee agenda by way of contrasting the other panels:
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sessions and Agenda-MLC-2015
Who's underwriting this hot mess? Here's the list of financial contributors for the conference (BTW, every state legislator is automatically a member of the Council of State Governments, so the capture is totally bipartisan, yay!):
Midwestern Legislative Conference 2015-On Site Agenda, Contributors List
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