Subject: Stop the Hogs

From: Eric Carlson <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 22:37:13 GMT

Please send responses to: 
[email-masked]

 Hogs versus Humans

           Internet Emergency Alert!

               Please help save our land!

	On July 13, 1995, an appointed  committee of three under the auspices of
the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) voted 2-1 to
change the rules about confined animal operations in Ochiltree County in
the Texas panhandle. 
        The new rule does not permit public hearings by the citizens of
Ochiltree County regarding a proposed confined hog operation sought by
the Japanese corporation, Nippon Meat Packing. 
       A permit has been requested from Austin and may be granted on
September 30, 1995. The subsidiary, Texas Farm, has already established
an office in Perryton, Texas in expectation of receiving the permit.  
      Six more permit applications for operation in the same county are
expected to follow this application, so opposition will continue!

	Texas Farm has plans to produce 540,000 market hogs per year when in
full swing. They say that it will provide jobs for 220 individuals. The
pork will be exported to Japan which does not have the land to support
major hog production. 

     Note: Over the last two years, officials in Austin, Perryton, and
Nippon have proceeded with plans to formalize operations for seven hog
facilities outside of Perryton. Most citizens of the surrounding land did
not learn of these plans until this spring, 1995.

	Many citizens of Perryton, other towns in Ochiltree and several cities
around the nation have formed a group called Accord Agriculture
(described later) and have vehement objections to the granting of this
permit. 

                           We object because:

1. the American right to a public hearing is denied us. The first
amendment in the Bill of Rights is denied us.

2. it will cause the depletion of the Ogallala aquifer which is already
being rapidly depleted. The Ogallala is the source of water for many
towns. Corporate hog operations use an inordinate amount of water.

3. the lagoon system proposed will not protect the Ogallala Aquifer from
contamination since water percolates through the ground into the aquifer
for our only means of recharge. The effluent (hog urine and feces) will
be held in clay lagoons for evaporation. This will blow on the
surrounding land and remain a health hazard for up to 10 years (see
following quote from an article by Center For Rural Affairs). Heavy rains
experienced in the area could cause overflow of the lagoons.
Contamination of several creeks and rivers would ensue including Wolf
Cree, Kiowa, Gilhula, Northrup, Hackberry, Gibson, Fort Supply, and the
North Canadian which flows into Oklahoma City and is the source of their
drinking water.

4. the building of confined hog facilities will reduce the property value
of nearby homes and their lands. Reasons include odor which will prohibit
outside activities, both work and pleasure; flies, which have been known
to completely blanket the side of a house or barn; and diseases which
have been documented below.

5. property value of nearby land affected by the hog facilities will drop
causing a loss of revenue to the nearby towns. In addition property taxes
for other citizens in surrounding areas will increase in order to provide
schools, homes, social services including medical care for employees.
Texas Farm published a statement earlier that they will not ask for a tax
abatement , However, it is now rumored that they will ask for a tax
abatement from the county from the country and the school.  This is cause
for distrust in what Texas Farm may say and do.

              Disease Threats Are Real
The Center for Rural Affairs, P.O. Box 406, Walt Hill, Nebraska
68067-0406, published an article in 1984, 

It's Not All Sunshine and Fresh Air:  Chronic Health Effects of Modern
Farming.   Quote: 

 "HEALTH HAZARDS RELATED TO CONCENTRATED PRODUCTION OF HOGS.  INFECTIOUS
DISEASES THAT SPREAD FROM MAN TO HOG AND HOG TO MAN.  All of the
following are transmissible to man.  Three can be fatal. (emphasis mine) 
All are debilitating.  Vaccination can prevent over 90% of cases except
in rare strains that develop from time to time. 

      The unknown and hidden carriers are a danger to both hog and man. 
They are the ones who did not develop immunity.

             Anthrax,    Brucellosis,    Swine Erysepilas, 
             Swine Influenza,    Leptospirosis,   Rabies, 
                            Chlamydia Psitaci.

     PARASITES ARE AN ONGOING DANGER IN HOGS IN CONFINEMENT.  THEY CAN BE
THE HOST BUT MAN MAY ALSO BE THE INTERMEDIATE HOST. THEY MAY BE
NON-SYMPTOMATIC FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.  NEVERTHELESS, THEY ARE A GREAT
SOURCE OF DEBILITY IN ANY HOST, WHO CAN BE WITHOUT SYMPTOMS FOR A TIME
BUT LATER PROGRESS TO A FATAL (emphasis mine) DISEASE.  

     UNFORTUNATELY, ALL THESE PARASITES CAN BECOME ENCYSTED AND BE SPREAD
ON THE SOIL IN THE FECAL MATTER THAT IS SPRAYED ON IT FROM HOLDING PONDS
(LAGOONS).  THESE CYSTS CAN LIVE FOR YEARS ON THE SOIL UNTIL THEY FIND AN
INNOCENT HOST SUCH AS MAN, CATTLE, OR PET. (emphasis mine)  IN TROPICAL
COUNTRIES THEY ARE AN EVEN GREATER MENACE.  IN SOILS OF KANSAS, THEY HAVE
BEEN KNOWN TO LIE DORMANT IN SOIL FOR 10 YEARS.  

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE DANGEROUS PARASITES:

                   agent                               disease

     ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES................AWCARIASIS
     TINEA SOLIUM.................................CYSTICERCOS
     TRICHINA SPIRALIS.......................TRICHINOSIS
     ECHINOCOCCUS CANIS.....................ECHINOCOCCOSIS
     TOXOPLASMA GONDII.....................TOXOPLASMOSIS

CONTAMINATION OF SOIL IS ALWAYS A DANGER FROM LIVESTOCK.  IT IS AN EVEN
GREATER DANGER FROM CONCENTRATED LIVESTOCK FARMING. 

CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATER FROM RUNOFF AND PERCOLATION IS AN EVEN
GREATER RISK FROM GREAT CONCENTRATIONS OF ANIMALS IN A SMALL SPACE.  THE
CHEMICALS IN THE WATER, USED FOR DISINFECTANT, BACTERIACIDE, AND OTHER
PURPOSES, NEVER BREAK DOWN TO A NONTOXIC FORM."  Unquote.

                 Medical Alert: 
 
Texas Farm has stated that 220 jobs will be available.  It is now learned
that the average time frame for employees to work directly with the hogs
is 7 years.  By that time their lungs will have been very adversely
affected from the ammonia in the effluent.  In Guyman, Oklahoma,
Vietnamese employees are working in the hog barns.

    How can a corporation, knowing all these hazards to health and
environment, in good conscience hire other humans to work under
conditions that they themselves would not work under?  

    How can Texas officials in Austin and Perryton allow and support a
corporation whose operations will be detrimental to the health of their
citizens and a rape of the land?  

 Texans have always been proud of their history and their land.  Why are
elected officials now willing to see it destroyed?

                Learn From Other States: 
 
Other states have learned first hand that confined hog operations have a
major negative impact on humans, animals, plants, land, air, and water.  

   North Carolina has had major problems with confined hog operations.

   Nebraska has outlawed further corporate hog facilities and has levied
fines on the existing corporate operation.

   Colorado's water situation keeps corporate hog facilities out.

   Missouri has closed down some of the operations in the northwest part
of the state.

   Kansas has granted local option, but already officials in Kansas have
had to give permission to destroy the pheasant and other wildlife near
confinement operations in order to protect the health of the confined
animals.

            Wildlife endangered 
 
     Texas Wildlife Laws also permit game to be destroyed in order to
protect confinement operations.  This means that game such as pheasant,
quail, wild turkey, and deer, etc. on land nearby the Texas Farm
operations may be destroyed.

                        Danger
  
     If Nippon gains access to land in Ochiltree County, then 
other counties are in danger of having their rules 
changed and public hearings disallowed.

                      Questions
  
As is noted in the objections, critical health and environmental
consequences can ensue from confined hog facilities.  Therefore
                         we ask:   

    ??? Why has the TNRCC denied us the right of United States citizens
to meet and talk freely in an open hearing about these matters that will
greatly affect our physical and emotional health and the surrounding
environment.  

   ???  Does this mean that the famous Saturday Evening Post's picture
depicting the Bill of Rights First Amendment, that of a man standing to
speak in a small town meeting, does not apply anymore?

  ???  Is our Bill of Rights subject to political whim?  
            
			 Please Help!

             Accord Agriculture
           P.O. Box 250, Farnsworth, Texas 79033

is a group of concerned citizens in Ochiltree county and other cities
around the nation who are in opposition to the permit application for
authorization to operate under Subchapter K rules (proposed Authorization
No. 03860) by Texas Farm, Inc., 9 Southwest 2nd Avenue, Perryton, Texas
79070, a new swine feeding facility which will confine a maximum of
11,381 head.  

     The proposed facility is to be on the north side of State Highway
281 approximately eight miles west of the intersection of Highway 281 and
U.S. Highway 83, in Ochiltree County, Texas.

This is only the first  permit application   
out of an expected seven  planned for     this one  county!   

          Please write, call, or fax       
                  immediately 
to the following officials in Austin and other towns in Texas and in
Washington and express your opinions.     
    Addresses of officials in Washington are included.

Addresses:

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC)
          P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas  78711-3087

               [The following people have the above address]

     Dr. Baker (Head of the committee which changed the   
                    rules)

     Mr. Mark McFarlin, TNRCC, Permit Engineer

     Mr. Gene Snelson, Staff Attorney, Legal Division

     Mr. Dan Pearson, Executive Director

     Mr. Desi Mora,  Agriculture and Rural Assistance Division

Other Important Addresses:

Mr. Rick Perry,  Agricultural Commissioner of Texas
P.O. Box 12847
Austin, Texas 78711
      and 
District Office:  2122 Interstate 40, 
                          Amarillo, Texas 79106

Governor George W. Bush
State Capito, Room 200 
Austin, Texas 78711

Lt. Governor Bob Bullock
P.O. Box 12068
Austin, Texas 78711

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson
282  Senate Russel Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
            and
Dallas Office:  LB 606 10440 North Central Expressway,
                        Suite 1160, Dallas, Texas  75231-2223

U.S. Senator Larry Combest
1511 Longworth House Office Bldge. Washington D.C. 20515
           and
Amarillo Office:   5809 S. Western, 2nd Floor Suite
                             Amarillo, Texas 79110

State Senator Teel Bivens
P.O. Box 12068
Austin, Texas 78774
           and
Amarillo Office:    P.O. Box 9155, Amarillo, Texas 79105
                           
State Representative Warren Chisum
P.O. Box 2910
Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78768
         and
Pampa Office:   P.O. Box 20621, Pampa, Texas 79066

Mr. Dan Glickman
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C.

President Bill Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500