How Do You Define "Clean"?

The Simmons Food plant in Southwest City (MO) processes 2 million chickens a week, but when it comes to water quality, company officials say their waste water is "clean". Hummm? http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=194605

In 1998, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, got a court order requiring millions of dollars in upgrades to the water-treatment system at the Southwest City plant. In 1999, Nixon asked the company to be found in contempt for violating a consent order setting specific limits on the amount of phosphorous, ammonia and nitrates that could be discharged into the watershed. In 1998 and 1999, the company was fined more than $700,000 by the states of Missouri and Oklahoma to settle complaints about wastewater discharges from the plant. Does that sound like "clean" water to you?

The Joplin Globe, Tuesday, June 28, 2005, article states that local residents who live in Oklahoma said the water in Cave Springs Branch and Honey Creek contains sludge and smells bad. Last Friday it was reported that Bruce Martin, Regional Director of Missouri Department of Natural Resources(MDNR) said that "(he) would not let (his) children swim in the creek. I would not let my children swim in any creek unless it's been tested regularly and I know it's safe". The Joplin Globe, Friday, June 24, 2005.

OK, so the obvious question is, how do you define "clean"? I don't think that Simmon's definition of "clean" and my definition, or the local residents or the Regional Director of MDNR, are the same. Simmons says that the discharge water is clean because there are fish in it. Albert Midoux, an environmental activist from Anderson (MO), said that the presence of fish in the stream near the company's water discharge does not prove that the water is clean because some species of fish can live in poluted water. What do you think?

This poultry processing plant is less than a mile east of the Oklahoma state line. All the treated wastewater flows from the plant into Cave Springs Branch, then into Honey Creek, and finally into Oklahoma's Grand Lake.

Oklahoma's Secretary of Environment Takes a Stand!

Miles Tolbert, Oklahoma Secretary of Environment, is asking the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to withhold issuing permits for egg producer MOARK's planned expansion in Newton County Missouri. MOARK is seeking approval from the MDNR to build 13 houses in Newton County that would each hold 200,000 chickens each, totaling 2.6 million birds.

"Oklahoma is tired of being the dumping ground", said Mr Tolbert. In a letter from the Oklahoma Secretary of Environment to MDNR, Mr. Tolbert says that his chief concerns are related to Elk River and Spring River tributaries, both of which flow into Oklahoma. Both of these streams are in the watershed of Ft. Gibson Reservoir, which is designated as "nutrient-limited" in the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards. Tolbert's letter said that Oklahoma is concerned about MOARK's environmental record in Missouri. "MOARK has consistently violated the terms and conditions of their existing permits. What assurances are there that the proposed permits will not just be a continuation of the past problems and an undocumented source of additional nutrient loads to an already sensitive area?" The Joplin Globe, Tuesday, June 28, 2005, http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=194683

You've heard the phrase, "Know When to Say When". Well, isn't it time to say STOP. Why can't we stand up and stop these polluters before they do something else. What good is the process of public hearing, applications and comments if the polluters get their permit anyway. Obviously Miles Tolbert, Oklahoma Secretary of Environment, knows what is really going on. This is a good example of why we need to get the Spring River Watershed Organization up and going. It is embarassing that Oklahoma's Secretary of Environment is standing up for what (we know) is right in Missouri!

"Is It Safe for Children to Swim in the Creek?"

Jim York, resident of rural Grove OK, who lives on Cave Springs Branch, downstream from the Simmons Foods Inc. processing plant in Southwest City, MO. asked Bruce Martin, Regional Director of Missouri Department of Natural Resources(MDNR), "Is it safe for children to swim in the creek?"
"No, I would not let my children swim in the creek." said Mr. Martin. "I would not let my children swim in any creek unless it's been tested regularly and I know it's safe". The Joplin Globe, Friday, June 24, 2005. http://www.joplinglobe.com/archives/story.php?story_id=103154

That's what I like about Bruce Martin, he is honest!

Oklahoma Attorney General Files Water Polution Suit

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmonson filed a lawsuit, Monday,June 13, 2005 against 14 poultry companies accussed of polluting the water in northeastern Oklahoma, The Joplin Globe,Tuesday,June 14,2005. The Compliant,filed in the US District Court of the Northern District of Oklahoma, alleges violations of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act(CERCLA), state and federal nusiance laws, trespass and Oklahoma environmental codes. "It all comes down to polution. Too much poultry waste is being dumped on the ground and it ends up in the water. That's against the law", said Drew Edmondson, Oklahoma A.G.
"One company alone, Tyson, announced that they spent $75 million over 12 months in an ad campaign. If they can afford that, they can afford to clean up their waste", said Mr. Edmondson.
Named in the complaint are: Tyson Foods Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Yyson Chicken Inc., Cobb-Vantress Inc., Aviagen Inc., Cal-Maine Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., Cargill Turkey Production LLC, George's Inc., George's Farms Inc., Peterson Farms Inc., Simmons Foods Inc. and Willow Brook Foods Inc. http://www.joplinglobe.com/archives/story.php?story_id=101960

The suit is focused on problems in the Illinois River. However, the Spring River Watershed (including tributaries) has poultry farms and poultry producers that are contributing to the problems in the Spring River Watershed, too.

When We Help the River, We Help Ourselves

The Carthage Press, Monday, June 6, 2005, started their editorial piece by acknowledging, "...we can be only as healthy as Spring River...Recognizing the extreme importance of the watershed, helps us understand why it is so important to reduce, eliminate if possible, the volume of polution being deposited daily by the various tributaries that comprise Spring River...When investments are made in cleaning, protecting and revitalizing Spring River or any of its tributaries, every one here benefits from that action and those benefits will extend through the generations to give life or preserve life for their descendants." www.carthagepress.com